  Large-payload deep space missions are impractical with current rocket
propulsion technologies in use. Chemical thrusters yield a high thrust but low
efficiency while ion thrusters are efficient but provide too little thrust for
large satellites and manned spacecraft. Plasma propulsion is a viable
alternative with a higher thrust than electric ion thrusters and specific
impulse far exceeding those of chemical rocket engines. In this paper, a hybrid
thruster is explored which affords the high mass flow rate of plasma thrusters
while maximizing the specific impulse. The two primary processes of this system
are the ion cyclotron resonance heating of plasma and subsequent electrostatic
acceleration of ions with gridded electrodes. Through a particle-in-cell
simulation of these two components, the exhaust velocities of Xenon, Argon, and
Helium are compared. It has been found that while the combination of systems
results in a far greater exhaust velocity, the acceleration is largely from the
gridded electrodes, and thus Xenon is the most suitable propellant with a
specific impulse upward of 4200 s. Advancements in nuclear fusion and fission
technologies will facilitate the deployment of high-power plasma thrusters that
will enable spacecraft to travel farther and faster in the solar system.
