Episode

1650: "Ion Drives"

Podcast: Interesting Things with JC
Published: May 12, 2026
Duration seconds: 161
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Canonical source: https://jimconnors.net/interesting-things-with-jc/2026/5/12/1650-ion-drives
Audio: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bba2d6fca525b3efa21591f/t/6a027d9ea6f27d17b6255e7e/1778548130338/1650+-+Interesting+Things+-+Ion+Drives.mp3
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Markdown: /podcast/interesting-things-with-jc-4639155/1650-ion-drives.md

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Summary

Interesting Things with JC #1650: "Ion Drives" – An engine produces less force than a postcard weighs, yet it keeps pushing a spacecraft across billions of miles of space; chemical rockets burn hard and stop quickly, while ion drives keep accelerating atoms through a vacuum long after the violent launch is over.