Ionic PROPulsion in atmosphere
INNOVATE, PROPEL, SOAR:
ionic air-breathing propulsion exploring new horizons for aerospace
The latest IPROP research results "Simulation of an Ionization Wave Propagating Along a Silicon-Based Surface” have presented by CNRS partner, where presented at the...
From 7 to 11 July 2025, the University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna) participated in the poster session of the 51st EPS Conference on Plasma...
IPROP Project was significantly represented in three different stages at EUCASS 2025 – the 11th European Conference for AeroSpace Sciences, one of the most respected...
IPROP Project has been successfully presented to an audience of over 700 attendees at #ITEC2025 – IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo + Electric...
It is the first experimental LTA prototype developed at the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology - Politecnico di Milano and marks an important step in both...
This vision for greener aviation was recently featured on 26th May 2025 in La Repubblica, the most widely read newspaper in Italy, thanks to an interview with Marco...
The IPROP project has been featured in the 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 of APRE Magazine, thanks to the collaboration with Fondazione Politecnico di Milano. The full edition here....
A novel design technique, where an airship featuring ion-plasma thrusters is sized for a low-altitude demonstration mission has been published on ICAS 2024 “34th...
Interesting progress has been made on the IPROP project in 2024, pushing the boundaries of ionic thruster technology for atmospheric and stratospheric applications....
SUMMARY
This project aims to bring ionic air-breathing propulsive systems beyond the pioneering phase, exploring their capabilities and improving their performance. Non-thermal plasma for atmospheric propulsion is a subject of recent investigations: model airplanes and vertical lifters have recently flown with this type of propulsion, but the potential of this technology is much higher. Many open aspects in this field deserve to be investigated, from fundamental research on ion production to geometric optimization of electrodes and integration of propulsion systems in existing aircrafts.
DURATION OF THE PROJECT
START OF THE PROJECT
01.11.2023
END OF THE PROJECT
31.10.2027
THE NETWORK OF PARTNERS
- POLIMI, Politecnico di Milano. Milano, Italy.
- UNIBO, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna. Bologna, Italy.
- KIT, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie. Karlsruhe, Germany.
- VKI, Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics. Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium.
- ISAE Supaero, Institut Superieur de l’Aeronautique et de l’Espace. Toulouse, France.
- CNRS, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS. Paris, France.
- AERONORD, Aeronord di Enzo Cisaro & C. s.a.s. Milano, Italy.
- TUD, Technische Universitaet Dresden. Dresden, Germany.
