2025 Electrodeless Plasma Workshop

The International EPT Workshop brings together researchers and experts from the plasma propulsion community to discuss the latest developments in space Electrodeless Plasma Thrusters, such as helicon plasma thrusters and electron-cyclotron plasma thrusters.

The workshop will take place in-person on July 3-4 at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.


2025 International Electrodeless Plasma Thruster workshop

Welcome to the website of the 2025 International Electrodeless Plasma Thruster Workshop. The workshop will bring together researchers and experts from the plasma propulsion community to discuss the latest developments in space Electrodeless Plasma Thrusters. It will consist of a series of round-table discussions on key topics and open research questions around these technologies.

Please stay tuned, as more information will be uploaded to this page soon. For inquiries, please contact us.

Dates and venue

The workshop will take place at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, on the beautiful "Puerta de Toledo" campus in Madrid city center, on July 3-4, 2025. Mark the dates!

Registration

Registration to the workshop is free of charge. However, it will be limited to 30-40 pax. For more information please contact us.

Uc3M Puerta de Toledo campus

Workshop Agenda

The workshop is structured around 5 topical round tables, plus an opening keynote, as described below:

Registration and welcome

July 3, 2025, 9:00 - 9:30

Opening keynote lecture

Electrodeless thrusters - past, present and future activities at ESA

July 3, 2025, 9:30 - 10:00

Eduard Bosch (ESA). Chaired by Mario Merino.

Session 1: Plasma diagnostics and prototype characterization

July 3, 2025, 10:00 - 12:00

  • Confirmed panelists: Marco Inchingolo (UC3M), Stéphane Mazouffre (CNRS), Theodora Andreescu (COMOTI), Jan-Philipp Wulfkuehler (U. Dresden), Andrea Lucca Fabris (U. Surrey)

Coffee break

12:00 - 12:30

Session 2: Plasma dynamics inside the source

July 3, 2025, 12:30 - 14:30

  • Confirmed panelists: Eduardo Ahedo (UC3M), Antonella Caldarelli (U. Auckland/U. Bologna), Federico Boni (ONERA), Nabil Souhair (U. Rabat)

Lunch

14:30 - 15:30

Session 3: Wave-plasma interactions and plasma heating

July 3, 2025, 15:30 - 17:30

  • Confirmed panelists: Pedro Jiménez (UC3M), Ivo Furno (EPFL), Paul-Quentin Elias (ONERA), Yung-An Chan (DLR), Álvaro Sánchez-Villar (PPPL)

Workshop dinner

TBD

Session 4: Magnetic nozzles and magnetized plasma expansions

July 4, 2025, 9:30 - 11:30

  • Confirmed panelists: Mario Merino (UC3M), Victor Desangles (ONERA), Mirko Magarotto (U. Padova), Andrei Smolyakov (U. Saskatchewan)

Coffee break

11:30 - 12:00

Session 5: Alternative propellants and air-breathing applications

July 4, 2025, 12:00 - 14:00

  • Confirmed panelists: Jaume Navarro-Cavallé (UC3M), Justin Little (U. Washington), Tommaso Andreussi (U. Sant'Anna), Elizabeth Gutiérrez (IRS Stuttgart), Fabrizio Ponti (U. Bologna)

Workshop closure and wrap-up

July 4, 2025, 14:00 - 14:30

Lunch

14:30 - 15:30

Uc3M EP2 Laboratory visit (optional)

July 4, 2025, 17:00 - 18:30 Madrid time, in UC3M Leganés Campus.

Scientific committee

The workshop organization is supervised by a Scientific Committee, composed of:

  • Mario Merino (UC3M)
  • Eduardo Ahedo (UC3M)
  • Jaume Navarro-Cavallé (UC3M)
  • Stéphane Mazouffre (CNRS)
  • Justin Little (U. Washington)
  • Tommaso Andreussi (U. Sant'Anna)
  • Mirko Magarotto (U. Padova)
  • Victor Desangles (ONERA)
  • Andrei Smolyakov (U. Saskatchewan)

Acknowledgments

This workshop is organized with the support of project ERC-ZARATHUSTRA, under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 950466).

Additional support is provided by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, under the 'Programa Propio de Investigación y Transferencia'

Contact

Mario Merino
Equipo de Propulsión Espacial y Plasmas
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Avda. de la Universidad 30
28911 Leganés (Madrid) Spain
Office: 7.3.H.06. View map
+34 91 624 8237
ep2@uc3m.es
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