Ion thruster

An ion thruster is a type of engine that uses electricity to push a spacecraft or other object forward. Instead of using fuel like a regular rocket engine, the ion thruster uses electricity to ionize, or give an electric charge to, a gas such as xenon. This ionized gas, or plasma, is then forced out of the engine at high speed, pushing the spacecraft forward. It's like blowing air out of a straw, only instead of air, it's the ionized gas that's pushed out and instead of blowing, it's the electricity that pushes the gas out.