{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T00:09:45Z","timestamp":1791245385448,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,30]],"date-time":"2025-12-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767052800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["52437001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["52437001"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100014219","name":"National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["52525702"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["52525702"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100014219","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100014717","name":"National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["52222701"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["52222701"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100014717","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002367","name":"Chinese Academy of Sciences","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["KGFZD-145-23-53"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KGFZD-145-23-53"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002367","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Key Technology Innovation Project of Anhui Province","award":["202523f12050008"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202523f12050008"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,24]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The integration of high-temperature superconductors into electric propulsion systems, particularly applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters (AF-MPDTs), has recently garnered significant attention. However, research on low-power, high-temperature-superconducting (HTS)-based MPDTs, which are crucial for small satellites and CubeSats, remains limited. The increasing demand for compact, high-efficiency propulsion in low Earth orbit underscores the need for scalable HTS-AF-MPDT systems operating below 15\u00a0kW. Despite this, challenges such as the lack of detailed theoretical models, limited plasma diagnostics and excessive Joule heating in conventional copper magnets persist. In this work, using a downscaled version of a 25\u00a0kW HTS-based AF-MPDT, we address these limitations by developing and experimentally validating a theoretical MHD-based plasma-acceleration model for an AF-MPDT equipped with a conduction-cooled HTS magnet. The system achieves a specific impulse of 3265\u00a0s at an input power of 12\u00a0kW, more than eight times higher than traditional chemical propulsion, alongside a thrust of 320\u00a0mN and an efficiency of 25% at sub-12\u00a0kW. The HTS magnet reduces magnetic power consumption from 285\u00a0kW to under 1\u00a0kW and lowers magnet mass from 220 to 60\u00a0kg, enabling substantial improvements in system miniaturization and efficiency. These results represent the first reported demonstration of a 12\u00a0kW HTS AF-MPDT, bridging theoretical predictions with experimental outcomes and laying the groundwork for in-orbit demonstration of high-performance propulsion for small satellites.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/nsr\/nwaf589","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,29]],"date-time":"2025-12-29T12:28:00Z","timestamp":1767011280000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["High performance of high-temperature-superconducting MPD thrusters: analytical MHD modeling and experimental demonstration"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Jinxing","family":"Zheng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031 ,","place":["China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yifan","family":"Du","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of 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