HERMeS Hall thruster
HERMeS (Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding) is NASA Glenn and JPL's 12.5-kW xenon Hall thruster technology demonstrator. Its magnetic field reduces discharge-channel erosion to support a 50,000-hour design lifetime and specific impulse up to 3,000 s; the lifetime is a design objective rather than a completed endurance demonstration. The primary throttle curve spans 6.25–12.5 kW discharge power, with a lower-power startup branch. Magnetic shielding does not remove all lifetime limits: pole pieces, cathodes and other hardware still require wear testing. NASA transferred the thruster technology to Aerojet Rocketdyne for AEPS and used HERMeS development units for risk reduction, plasma characterization and qualification support.
Identity
- Aliases
- Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic ShieldingHERMeS
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- model
- Kind
- electric-thruster
- Name
- HERMeS Hall thruster
- Status
- development
Details
- Description
- HERMeS (Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding) is NASA Glenn and JPL's 12.5-kW xenon Hall thruster technology demonstrator. Its magnetic field reduces discharge-channel erosion to support a 50,000-hour design lifetime and specific impulse up to 3,000 s; the lifetime is a design objective rather than a completed endurance demonstration. The primary throttle curve spans 6.25–12.5 kW discharge power, with a lower-power startup branch. Magnetic shielding does not remove all lifetime limits: pole pieces, cathodes and other hardware still require wear testing. NASA transferred the thruster technology to Aerojet Rocketdyne for AEPS and used HERMeS development units for risk reduction, plasma characterization and qualification support.
- Developers
- Electric Specs
- Input Power Max
- …
- Input Power Min
- …
- Specific Impulse Max
- …
- Propellants
- xenon
Links
- Official Url
- https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20210014382
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 15, 2026 at 02:38:18 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 29, 2026 at 15:12:25 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- NASA's review identifies HERMeS as a 12.5 kW Hall thruster with 3,000 s design specific impulse, magnetic shielding, and long-life technology maturation that transitioned toward AEPS.
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- Completing the development of the 12.5 kW Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS)
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- NASA/JPL document describes the jointly developed HERMeS TDU-1, its 12.5 kW operating point, 3,000 s design target, and magnetic-shielding architecture.
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- NASA HERMeS Hall Thruster Electrical Configuration
- Accessed Date
- 2026-10-29
- Note
- 2017 paper, sections II–III: primary throttle curve, lower-power startup branch, magnetic-shielding purpose and remaining wear mechanisms. The 50,000-hour life is a design target, not demonstrated full-duration life.
- Publisher
- NASA Glenn Research Center / Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Title
- Development Status of the 12.5 kW Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS)