[callisto]

ping

[vannrox]

"...solar-electric propulsion, or more commonly, an ion engine..."
Wasn't this kind of engine used on a number of small probes? Indeed it seems to be a wonderful advancement of technology.

[GingisK]

Note to self: These puppies won't work for the boost phase. Very large chemical rockets still required to get the little puppie into space.

[Brett66]

Ion propulsion is finally being used, what was the development time for it? About 50 years? They have got to reduce the ridiculous amount of time to implement these technologies.

[RightWhale]

This technique, developed initially by Robert Goddard, the Tesla of rocketry, is vital to asteroid mining. No other method of propulsion comes close to profitability for such business opportunities.