In space this same experiment might create a mini-magnetosphere 15 km across. Maintaining such a bubble in space would require about 1 kW of power and less than 1 kg per day of helium propellant for the plasma source. In return, the bubble would intercept about 600 kW of solar wind power. And that's another big advantage. If you sail the spacecraft far from the Sun, you won't lose thrust.
Most planets are huge magnets with magnetic fields that extend far into space.
When the solar wind runs into a planetary magnetic field, the electrons and ions are deflected around it. The cavity that the planetary magnet carves out is called a magnetosphere. It's shaped something like a comet with a long tail that points away from the Sun. Jupiter's magnetosphere is the biggest thing in the entire solar system. Not only is it large enough to hold all of Jupiter's moons, but the Sun itself could fit inside many times over.