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The Register

Scientists are trying to support the boom in miniaturised satellites with the development of a plasma engine using an iodine propellant — rather than the commonly used xenon — for the first time.

CNET

For a few years now, ion propulsion technology's sci-fi mechanics have raised the standard for flying spacecraft, replacing fiery rocket tails as the new in-thing. Ion propulsion can be about 10 times faster than normal fuel and can continuously run for prolonged periods of time, gaining a wicked amount of speed along the way.

BBC

В ближайшее десятилетие на орбиту Земли, как ожидается, будут запущены даже не тысячи, а десятки тысяч спутников, и поиск путей эффективного и экономичного управления ими становится приоритетом.

New Scientist

Many satellites use xenon as a propellant to help them change orbit or avoid collisions, but the gas is expensive – now we know iodine provides a cheaper alternative.

Inside Science

Right now, there is a unique spacecraft orbiting our planet. Its secret is the iodine propellant it uses to maneuver in space.

The spacecraft, launched in 2020, is a type of miniaturized satellite called a CubeSat, weighing about 45 pounds (20 kilograms), and it's the first satellite to use iodine to convert electrical energy to ion propulsion. The mission could pave the way for a new generation of smaller, cheaper spacecraft, according to a paper published today in the journal Nature.

Ars Technica

Most people are probably familiar with iodine through its role as a disinfectant. But if you stayed awake through high school chemistry, then you may have seen a demonstration where powdered iodine was heated. Because its melting and boiling points are very close together at atmospheric pressures, iodine will readily form a purple gas when heated. At lower pressures, it'll go directly from solid to gas, a process called sublimation.

That, as it turns out, could make it the perfect fuel for a form of highly efficient spacecraft propulsion hardware called ion thrusters...