Thrust is created by accelerating the positive ions through a series of gridded electrodes at one end of the thrust chamber. The electrodes, known as an ion extraction assembly, create more than 3,000 tiny beams of thrust. The beams are prevented from being electrically attracted back to the thruster by an external electron-emitting device called a neutralizer. And, because ion thrusters operate at lower force levels, attitude disturbances during thruster operation are reduced, further simplifying the stationkeeping task. Chemical thrusters in use today are limited by how much energy is released during the combustion process.
Ion thrusters are dependent on the amount of electrical power available.
More power means faster-moving ions and higher thrust. XIPS uses 500 watts from the satellite's 8-kilowatt solar array. XIPS operations have no effect on broadcasting and telemetry operations. Each primary device will be switched on and off by a smart power unit that monitors and diagnoses operations automatically. In normal operation, each Boeing 601HP ion thruster will operate for approximately 5 hours per day.