Spacecraft propulsion

There are many different ways to accelerate spacecraft. Below is a summary of some of the more popular, proven technologies, followed by increasingly speculative methods.

Propulsion methods
Method Specific Impulse (seconds) Thrust (Newtons) Duration

Conventional propulsion methods

Solid rocket 100-400 10³- 10⁷ minutes

Hybrid rocket 150-420 minutes

Monopropellant rocket 100-300 0.1-100 millliseconds - minutes

Momentum wheel (attitude control only) n/a 0.001-100 indefinite

Bipropellant rocket 100-400 0.1-10⁷ minutes

Tripropellant rocket 250-450 minutes

Dual mode propulsion rocket

Air-augmented rocket 500-600 seconds-minutes

Liquid air cycle engine 450 seconds-minutes

Resistojet rocket 200-600 10^-2-10 minutes

Arcjet rocket 400-1200 10^-2-10 minutes

Hall effect thruster (HET) 800-5000 10^-3-10 months

Ion thruster 1500-8000 10^-3-10 months

FEEP (Field Emission Electric Propulsion) 10000-13000 10^-6-10^-3 weeks

Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (MPD) 2000-10000 100 weeks

Pulsed plasma thruster (PPT)

Pulsed inductive thruster (PIT) 5000 20 months

Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) 1000-30000 40-1200 days - months

Nuclear thermal rocket 900 10⁵ minutes

Nuclear electric rocket As electric propulsion method used

Solar sails N/A 9 per km² (at 1 AU) Indefinite

Mass drivers N/A Indefinite seconds

Tether propulsion N/A 1-10¹² minutes

Technologies requiring more engineering development

Magnetic sails N/A Indefinite Indefinite

Mini-magnetospheric plasma propulsion N/A Indefinite Indefinite

Gaseous fission reactor 1000-2000 10³-10⁶

Nuclear pulse propulsion (Orion drive) 2000-100,000 10⁹-10¹² (not a misprint) half hour

Antimatter catalyzed nuclear pulse propulsion 2000-40,000 days-weeks

Nuclear salt-water rocket 10,000 10³-10⁷ half hour

Beam-powered propulsion As propulsion method powered by beam

Nuclear photonic rocket 5x10⁶ 1-10⁵ years

Biefeld-Brown effect N/A 0.01-1 (currently) weeks, probably months

Significantly beyond current engineering

Fusion rocket

Bussard ramjet

Antimatter rocket

Requires new principles of physics

Alcubierre drive (Warp drive) Not Applicable

Wormholes

Time machines

Method	Specific Impulse (seconds)	Thrust (Newtons)	Duration
Conventional propulsion methods	Specific Impulse (seconds)	Thrust (Newtons)	Duration
Solid rocket	100-400	10³- 10⁷	minutes
Hybrid rocket	150-420		minutes
Monopropellant rocket	100-300	0.1-100	millliseconds - minutes
Momentum wheel (attitude control only)	n/a	0.001-100	indefinite
Bipropellant rocket	100-400	0.1-10⁷	minutes
Tripropellant rocket	250-450		minutes
Dual mode propulsion rocket
Air-augmented rocket	500-600		seconds-minutes
Liquid air cycle engine	450		seconds-minutes
Resistojet rocket	200-600	10^-2-10	minutes
Arcjet rocket	400-1200	10^-2-10	minutes
Hall effect thruster (HET)	800-5000	10^-3-10	months
Ion thruster	1500-8000	10^-3-10	months
FEEP (Field Emission Electric Propulsion)	10000-13000	10^-6-10^-3	weeks
Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (MPD)	2000-10000	100	weeks
Pulsed plasma thruster (PPT)
Pulsed inductive thruster (PIT)	5000	20	months
Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR)	1000-30000	40-1200	days - months
Nuclear thermal rocket	900	10⁵	minutes
Nuclear electric rocket	As electric propulsion method used
Solar sails	N/A	9 per km² (at 1 AU)	Indefinite
Mass drivers	N/A	Indefinite	seconds
Tether propulsion	N/A	1-10¹²	minutes
Technologies requiring more engineering development
Magnetic sails	N/A	Indefinite	Indefinite
Mini-magnetospheric plasma propulsion	N/A	Indefinite	Indefinite
Gaseous fission reactor	1000-2000	10³-10⁶
Nuclear pulse propulsion (Orion drive)	2000-100,000	10⁹-10¹² (not a misprint)	half hour
Antimatter catalyzed nuclear pulse propulsion	2000-40,000		days-weeks
Nuclear salt-water rocket	10,000	10³-10⁷	half hour
Beam-powered propulsion	As propulsion method powered by beam
Nuclear photonic rocket	5x10⁶	1-10⁵	years
Biefeld-Brown effect	N/A	0.01-1 (currently)	weeks, probably months
Significantly beyond current engineering
Fusion rocket
Bussard ramjet
Antimatter rocket
Requires new principles of physics
Alcubierre drive (Warp drive)	Not Applicable
Wormholes
Time machines