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Imperial Space Engineering Lab electric-propulsion reference

Partially verified listing. The named Boltzmann laboratory and electric-propulsion equipment are supported by current institutional pages. Exact building/room allocation and external test arrangements remain unresolved; no common-footer address or historical STFC pump capacity is transferred.

Imperial College London

Imperial’s Space Engineering Lab page identifies the Boltzmann vacuum facility, commissioned when the laboratory opened in July 2018, for experimental plasma-thruster research. The Imperial Plasma Propulsion Laboratory page describes the same named Boltzmann chamber, the smaller Maxwell chamber and a separate thrust balance. These are named laboratory references. The reviewed pages do not establish an exact building or room; the common South Kensington contact footer is not a test-location allocation.

Reviewed by Arc · About this review

Key facts

Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.

Testing capabilities

Named electric-propulsion vacuum research

Boltzmann’s primary purpose is experimental characterisation of plasma thrusters for spacecraft propulsion. The owner describes a cylindrical main chamber 2 m long and 1.5 m in diameter, with a separate 1.5 m by 0.75 m load-lock, plus Maxwell at roughly 0.5 m in diameter and length. These geometries are descriptive equipment values, not specimen acceptance limits.

Separate thrust measurement apparatus

The IPPL page describes a hanging-pendulum balance for direct electric-propulsion thrust measurement, with a published 1–1000 mN range and roughly 0.2 mN precision. It also describes calibration and in-vacuum stability subsystems. No combined chamber-and-balance operating envelope is inferred.

Equipment and published limits

Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.

Access and contact

The Space Engineering Lab page names Dr Aaron Knoll (a.knoll@imperial.ac.uk) and Dr Nigel MacCarthy (n.maccarthy@imperial.ac.uk). Use these published research contacts to confirm the exact lab location, collaboration route, apparatus and current requirements.

Facility contact

Standards and accreditation

Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.

What to confirm with the facility

  • Confirm the exact test method, specimen configuration, acceptance criteria, reporting, availability and quotation directly with the operator.

Before requesting a test

Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.

Frequently asked questions

Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.

Named current Boltzmann/Maxwell plasma-thruster experiments and the separate pendulum thrust balance can support electric-propulsion comparisons. Exact building/room and external arrangements remain unresolved; no combined apparatus envelope is inferred.

  • Mars Space Electric Propulsion Laboratory

    Compare electric-propulsion laboratory experiments for the proposed article. Agree thruster, vacuum/research setup, operating point, diagnostics or thrust measurement and access arrangement. Named current Boltzmann/Maxwell plasma-thruster experiments and the separate pendulum thrust balance can support electric-propulsion comparisons. Exact building/room and external arrangements remain unresolved; no combined apparatus envelope is inferred.

Further reading

  • Propulsion and fluid systems

    Browse propulsion and fluid systems for Named electric-propulsion vacuum research. Compare the documented article, method and conditions in each entry.

  • Current methods with scope qualifications

    Named current Boltzmann/Maxwell plasma-thruster experiments and the separate pendulum thrust balance can support electric-propulsion comparisons. Exact building/room and external arrangements remain unresolved; no combined apparatus envelope is inferred. Use this review group to identify the evidence to request before selecting a method.

  • Review supplier compliance claims against evidence

    Confirm the method allocation before planning electric-propulsion laboratory experiments. Named current Boltzmann/Maxwell plasma-thruster experiments and the separate pendulum thrust balance can support electric-propulsion comparisons. Exact building/room and external arrangements remain unresolved; no combined apparatus envelope is inferred.

Sources and review

Arc reviewed the original sources on 2026-10-13. The cited material supports the bounded site information presented here. Test suitability and commercial arrangements require direct confirmation.

Arc publishes this directory entry and does not operate the test facility. Suggest a correction to Arc with a supporting source.

  1. Space Engineering Lab

    Imperial College London · Reviewed

    Named Boltzmann laboratory identity, July 2018 commissioning, electric-propulsion purpose, chamber geometry and named research contacts. Department and college contact footers do not establish the test building.

  2. Imperial Plasma Propulsion Laboratory facilities

    Imperial College London · Reviewed

    The same named Boltzmann chamber, separate Maxwell chamber and thrust-balance descriptions. Pump ratings remain equipment figures, not achieved chamber pressure or a combined operating envelope.