| Thruster, Ion | |
|---|---|
| |
| Category: | Maneuvering |
| Status: | Functional |
| Function: | |
| Provides thrust and/or rotation | |
| Fits small ship | |
| Mass: | Small Thruster:113 kg Large Thruster:721 kg |
| Power: | Small Thruster:-201 kW Large Thruster:-2.4 MW |
| Fits large ship and station | |
| Mass: | Small Thruster:4,380 kg Large Thruster:43,200 kg |
| Power: | Small Thruster:-3.36 MW Large Thruster:-33.60 MW |
| Data Controls: | [edit] [purge] (?) |
Ion thrusters were the original "Thrusters" of Vanilla Alpha Space Engineers, now renamed as 'Ion thrusters'.
Big Blue Ship with Ion Thrusters
These thrusters use only electricity to provide propulsion to their vessels and are at their best in a vacuum.
You recognise Ion thrusters by their blue flame
Usage[]
SOTF Patrol Bot with SciFi Ion Thrusters on an asteroid base.
Ion thrusters provide efficient and fuel-free propulsion as long as there is a source of power on the grid they are attached to. They are ideal for ships operating in space.
Thrust Override controls exists for Ion Thrusters, but it would be a waste of energy to use overrides in space for anything more than acceleration. Instead it’s recommended to “coast”:
- To coast in space, facing in the target direction and hold (W key) to accelerate to the desired cruising speed. Then switch off Inertial Dampers and let go of (W key) to stop accelerating. Drifting in a straight line saves power in zero gravity!
- To brake, simply press (Z key) to switch on Inertial Dampers again. You brake faster with your strongest thrusters facing forward, so ships with strong rear thrusters should do a flip&burn manoeuvre to brake more easily.
- For docking and manoeuvring at slow speeds, keep Inertial Dampers on.
Tip: When coasting long distances in space, you typically aim slightly off the target (station, ship, asteroid): This is a safety measure in case you lack the time or energy to fully decelerate and brake, so you don’t collide with the target.
Thrust Force[]
| Ion Thruster Size | Force of thust | Relative force (approx.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-Grid small | 14.4 kN | 1 | 1/14 | 1/28 | 1/350 |
| Small-Grid large | 172.8 kN | 14 | 1 | 1/2 | 1/25 |
| Large-Grid small | 345.6 kN | 28 | 2 | 1 | 1/12.5 |
| Large-Grid large | 4.3 MN | 350 | 25 | 12.5 | 1 |
For reference, 1 Newton (unit abbreviation 'N') is defined as the unit of force necessary to accelerate 1 kg of mass at 1 m/s^2. A planet with 1 G has an acceleration from gravity of 9.81 m/s^2. Thus 9.81 N of force is required to counter the gravity of 1 kg of grid mass against 1 G of gravitational acceleration (and, of course, more is needed to actually go _up_ and carry cargo). 1 kN is 1000 N, and 1 MN is 1000 kN (1,000,000 N).
Comparison[]
Compared to 
Atmospheric Thrusters and 
Hydrogen Thrusters, Ion Thrusters provide slightly less force (under ideal conditions) and draw more energy from their power supply. Mirroring Atmospheric thrusters which can only work in an atmosphere, Ion Thrusters work best in a vacuum, and grow significantly less powerful as they enter thicker atmospheres.
If your target takes too long to reach in space even with Ion or Hydrogen Thrusters, consider a Jump Drive.
SOTF Shuttle with SciFi Ion Thrusters
Construction[]
If you have Progression on, you must build a cockpit or Remote Control first to unlock Ion Thrusters. They require 
Thruster Components, which themselves need Platinum, making them expensive and tedious to craft and typically only available in mid to late game.
Ion thrusters' compact design gives them more surface areas for attaching to other blocks, making them a lot easier to design and build around compared to the round Atmospheric thrusters or conveyor-dependent Hydrogen thrusters.
Ion thrusters for small grids have the smallest mass compared to their counterparts, however the inverse is true for Large grids; large grid Ion thrusters are bigger and heavier than their sister thrusters.
DLC[]
The Sparks of the future DLC has introduced a sci-fi skinned Ion thuster with a sharper thruster flame, but same functionality.
Trivia[]
After newer Space Engineers versions have added two other kinds of thrusters, Keen Software House decided to make these thrusters "more-end-game orientated." With that in mind, they renamed them to Ion thrusters, and required them to be made with Platinum for Thruster Components.
In real life, Ion thrusters are used by spacecraft such as the Dawn probe which excites charged molecules to produce thrust. Currently, they are favored for long-distance space craft due to their fuel efficiency and reliability. However, unlike in Space Engineers, most current and practical forms of ion propulsion do consume some manner of fuel. Ion thrusters also make common appearances in many contemporary fictional settings as a slower but more efficient or reliable form of propulsion.
Recipe[]
 Ion Thruster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Large Ship/Station Required | Large Ship/Station Optional | Small Ship Required | Small Ship Optional |
 Construction Comp. | 40 | 20 | 1 | — |
| Thruster Components | 80 | — | 1 | — |
 Large Steel Tube | 8 | — | 1 | — |
 Steel Plate | 15 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| File:Icon Block Large Ion Thruster.png Large Ion Thruster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Large Ship/Station Required | Large Ship/Station Optional | Small Ship Required | Small Ship Optional |
| Thruster Components | 960 | — | 12 | — |
| Large Steel Tube | 40 | — | 5 | — |
| Construction Comp. | 70 | 30 | 1 | 1 |
| Steel Plate | 100 | 50 | 1 | 4 |
Types of Manoeuvring Blocks[]
Atmospheric Thrusters- Hydrogen Thrusters
- Ion Thrusters (this page)
- Jump Drive
