Editing Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (section)

== Research ==
Research on MPD thrusters has been carried out in the US, the former [[Soviet Union]], Japan, Germany, and Italy. Experimental prototypes were first flown on Soviet spacecraft and, most recently, in 1996, on the Japanese [[Space Flyer Unit]], which demonstrated the successful operation of a quasi-steady pulsed MPD thruster in space. Research at [[Moscow Aviation Institute]], [[RKK Energiya]], [[:ru:Национальный аэрокосмический университет имени Н. Е. Жуковского|National Aerospace University, Kharkiv Aviation Institute]], Institute of Space Systems of the [[University of Stuttgart]], [[Institute of Space and Astronautical Science|ISAS]], [[Centrospazio]], [[Alta S.p.A.]], [[Osaka University]], [[University of Southern California]], [[Princeton University]]'s [[Electric Propulsion and Plasma Dynamics Lab]] (EPPDyL) (where MPD thruster research has continued uninterrupted since 1967), and  [[NASA]] centers ([[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] and [[Glenn Research Center]]), has resolved many problems related to the performance, stability and lifetime of MPD thrusters.

An MPD thruster was tested on board the Japanese Space Flyer Unit as part of EPEX (Electric Propulsion Experiment) that was launched March 18, 1995 and retrieved by  space shuttle mission [[STS-72]] January 20, 1996. To date, it is the only operational MPD thruster to have flown in space as a propulsion system. Experimental prototypes were first flown on Soviet spacecraft.

The applied-field MPD thruster in development at the Institute of Space Systems of the [[University of Stuttgart]] reached a thruster efficiency of 61.99% in 2019, corresponding to a specific impulse of I<sub>sp</sub> = 4665 s and 2.75 N of thrust.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Boxberger|first1=Adam|last2=Behnke|first2=Alexander|last3=Herdrich|first3=Georg|title=Current Advances in Optimization of Operative Regimes of Steady State Applied Field MPD Thrusters|journal=International Electric Propulsion Conference|volume=IEPC-2019-585|date=2019|url=http://electricrocket.org/2019/585.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://electricrocket.org/2019/585.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}</ref>