Aerospace

As a cornerstone of modern spacecraft design, electric propulsion plays a critical role in enabling efficient, long-duration missions, especially for deep space exploration and satellite station-keeping. A key technique in evaluating thruster performance—and benchmarking it against evolving theoretical models—is Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy. By measuring ion velocities through the Doppler effect, LIF enables detailed, spatially resolved diagnostics. Differing from other plasma diagnostics, LIF offers a minimally intrusive method for in situ mapping of magnetic fields, leveraging the Zeeman effect.  Our group collaborates with researchers who study the physics of complex media, such as ion thruster plasmas, through laser spectroscopy at Aerospazio Tecnologie s.r.l., one of the leading European companies provideing space simulators.