Pulsed inductive thrusters (or PITs) are a form of ion thrusterAn ion thruster (or ion drive) is one of several types of spacecraft propulsion, specifically electric propulsion. It uses beams of ions — electrically charged atoms or molecules — for propulsion. The precise method for accelerating the ions may vary, but all designs take ...ion thruster, used in spacecraft propulsionSpacecraft propulsion is any method used to change the velocity of spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by exhausting a gas from the back/rear of the vehicle at very high speed through a supersonic de Laval nozzle. This sort of engine is called a rocket engine. All ...spacecraft propulsion. A PIT uses perpendicular electricIn physics, the space surrounding an electric charge or in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field has a property called an electric field. This electric field exerts a force on other electrically charged objects. The concept of electric field was introduced by Michael Faraday. The electric field is a vector field with SI units of newtons per coulomb (N C-1) or, equivalently, volts per meter (V m-1). ...electric and magnetic fieldsIn physics, a magnetic field is a solenoidal vector field in the space surrounding moving electric charges and magnetic dipoles, such as those in electric currents and magnets. Where such a field is present, magnetic force acts on other such bodies. All materials respond to a magnetic field to some degree, by opposing it or being attracted to it. The direction of a magnetic field can be demonstrated with magnetic dipoles; ...magnetic fields to accelerate a propellantNo quick definition available. propellant. A nozzleA nozzle is a mechanical device designed to control the characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits (or enters) an enclosed chamber or pipe. A nozzle is often a pipe or tube of varying cross sectional area, and it can be used to direct or modify the flow of a fluid (liquid or gas). Nozzles are frequently used to control the rate of flow, ...nozzle releases a puff of gas (usually ammoniaNo quick definition available. ammonia or argonArgon (IPA:) is a chemical element designated by the symbol Ar. Argon has atomic number 18 and is the third element in group 18 of the periodic table (noble gases). Argon is present in the Earth's atmosphere at slightly less than 1%, making it the most common noble gas ...argon) which spreads across a flat induction coilAn Induction coil or "spark coil" (archaically known as a Ruhmkorff coil) is a type of disruptive discharge coil. It is a passive electrical device used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage DC supply.induction coil of wireA wire is a single, usually cylindrical, elongated strand of drawn metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signal|signals. Standard sizes are determined by various wire gauges. The term wire is also used more loosely to refer to a bundle of such ...wire about 1 meter across. A bank of capacitorsA capacitor is an electrical device that can store energy in the electric field between a pair of closely spaced conductors (called 'plates'). When current is applied to the capacitor, electric charges of equal magnitude, but opposite polarity, build up on each plate. Capacitors are used in electrical circuits as energy-storage devices. They can also be used to differentiate ...capacitors releases a pulse of electric current lasting 10 microseconds into the coil, generating a radial magnetic field. This inducesElectromagnetic induction is the production of voltage across a conductor situated in a changing magnetic field or a conductor moving through a stationary magnetic field.induces a circular electrical field in the gas, ionizingAn ion is an atom or group of bonded atoms which have lost or gained one or more electrons, making them negatively or positively charged. An ion consisting of a single atom is called a monatomic ion. A negatively charged ion, which has more electrons in its electron shells than it has protons in its nuclei, is known as an anion (; an-eye-on) due to its attraction to anodes. A positively-charged ion, which has fewer electrons than protons, is known as a cation (; cat-eye-on) due to its attraction to cathodes. ...ionizing it and causing the ions to revolve in the opposite direction as the original pulse of current. Because their motion is perpendicular to the magnetic field, the ions are accelerated out into space.

Unlike an electrostatic ion thrusterThe electrostatic ion thruster is a kind of design for ion thrusters (a kind of highly-efficient low-thrust spacecraft propulsion running on electrical power). These designs use high voltage electrodes in order to accelerate ions with electrostatic forces. A variant of the duoplasmatron, they were initially developed by Harold R. Kaufman at NASA in the early 1960s, but they were rarely used before the late 1990s. NASA has produced practical electrostatic ion thrusters, notably ...electrostatic ion thruster, PIT requires no electrodesAn electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a metallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte or a vacuum). The word was coined by the scientist Michael Faraday from the Greek words elektron (meaning amber, from which the word electricity is derived) and hodos, a way.Michael Faraday, "On Electrical ...electrodes (which are susceptible to erosion) and its power can be scaled up simply by increasing the number of pulses per second. A 1-megawattNo quick definition available.megawatt system would pulse 200 times per second.