''Ion Propulsion Engine'', Graduation Project of Students of Navigation and Space Technology Science at Beni Suef
Media Center
Students of the Faculty of Navigation and Space Technology, under the supervision of Dr. Mansour Hassan, President of Beni Suef University, and Dr. Osama Shalabya, Dean of the Faculty, implemented a graduation project called an ion propulsion engine using space debris by recycling space debris and converting it into propulsion fuel, in order to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of space operations.
Dr. Mansour Hassan expressed his happiness with the excellence of his sons from the students of the Faculty of Navigation Science, which celebrates the graduation of the first batch this year, and the research teams that were formed by the students to prepare these unique projects, which are a real research nucleus for projects that will serve humanity in the future.
Dean of the Faculty Dr. Osama Shalabya explained that the team included 11 students: Mohamed Mustafa Saeed, Basel Al-Sayed Zaidan, Maryam Al-Basher Mohammed, Arij Walid Fathi, May Khaled, Nada Abdel-Sattar, Rowan Raed, Rehab Hajazi, Salma Khaled, Rahma Salah, Aya Sharif, under the supervision of Dr. Mohamed Al-Faran, a lecturer in the Department of Space Navigation, Dr. Mohamed Murad, a lecturer in the Department of Space Communications, and Dr. Ahmed Abulfutoh, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Space Navigation at the Faculty.
The idea of the project revolves around capturing space debris, heating it, and converting it into thin sheets by hot rolling, then charging and ionizing those sheets by thermionic emission, and finally using high-voltage grids to accelerate them and eject them from satellites, as space debris poses a serious threat to the safety of space activities and its sustainability. Moreover, traditional methods of propelling satellites in orbit and maintaining them require huge amounts of fuel and resources. In this way, we can mitigate the problem of space debris and prevent the possibility of collisions, as well as extend the life of satellites by reducing their fuel consumption.