2025 Electrodeless Plasma Thruster 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.
This first edition of the workshop took place on July 3-4 at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. This website contains an archive of the workshop, including the agenda, presentations, and other relevant information.
2025 International Electrodeless Plasma Thruster workshop
The workshop brought together 40 researchers and experts from across Europe and America, to discuss the latest developments in space Electrodeless Plasma Thrusters. The workshop was structured into a series of round-table discussions on key topics and open research questions around these technologies.
The agenda of the workshop and the slides used in each round-table can be found below. For any inquiries, please contact the organizers at UC3M.
Workshop Agenda
Thursday July 3
Registration and welcome
8:30 - 9:00
Opening keynote lecture
Electrodeless thrusters - past, present and future activities at ESA
9:00 - 9:30
Eduard Bosch (ESA). Chaired by Mario Merino.
Session 1: Plasma diagnostics and prototype characterization [slides]
9:30 - 11:15
- Confirmed panelists: Marco Inchingolo (UC3M), Stéphane Mazouffre (CNRS), Theodora Andreescu (COMOTI), Jan-Philipp Wulfkuehler (U. Dresden), Andrea Lucca Fabris (U. Surrey)
Coffee break
11:15 - 11:45
Session 2: Plasma dynamics inside the source [slides]
11:45 - 13:30
- Confirmed panelists: Eduardo Ahedo (UC3M), Antonella Caldarelli (U. Auckland/U. Bologna), Federico Boni (ONERA), Nabil Souhair (U. Rabat), Mansur Tisaev (Oregon State U.)
Lunch
13:30 - 14:30
Session 3: Wave-plasma interactions and plasma heating [slides]
14:30 - 16:15
- Confirmed panelists: Pedro Jiménez (UC3M), Ivo Furno (EPFL), Paul-Quentin Elias (ONERA), Yung-An Chan (DLR), Álvaro Sánchez-Villar (PPPL)
Workshop dinner
20:30 - 22:30. Restaurant 'Los Galayos', Plaza Mayor, 1. 28012, Madrid [map]
Friday July 4
Session 4: Magnetic nozzles and magnetized plasma expansions [slides]
9:00 - 10:45
- Confirmed panelists: Mario Merino (UC3M), Victor Desangles (ONERA), Mirko Magarotto (U. Padova), Andrei Smolyakov (U. Saskatchewan)
Coffee break
10:45 - 11:15
Session 5: Alternative propellants and air-breathing applications [slides]
11:15 - 13:00
- Confirmed panelists: Andrés Rabuñal (UC3M), Justin Little (U. Washington), Eugenio Ferrato (U. Sant'Anna), Elizabeth Gutiérrez (IRS Stuttgart), Fabrizio Ponti (U. Bologna)
Workshop closure and wrap-up
13:00 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 14:30
UC3M EP2 Laboratory visit (optional)
16:00 - 18:00. Laboratory is located at 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