Russia tests high-speed plasma rocket for deep space missions

Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has tested a plasma-based rocket engine designed for space applications, its chief executive said on April 9.

The company conducted the trials on test benches, achieving what it described as unique characteristics for an impulsive propulsion system, including a specific impulse of up to 100 km/s, according to Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom’s chief executive, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Likhachev said the plasma engine offers advantages over conventional chemical propulsion systems, without providing further technical details.

Rosatom began developing the first prototype of the next-generation plasma propulsion system in 2021 at the Troitsk Research Institute. In February 2025, the corporation presented the engine and started preparations for testing.

The medium power of the engine, operating in a pulsed-periodic mode, could reach up to 300 kW, Likhachev added, speaking at the Russian Space Forum held at the National Centre “Russia”.

By Aghakazim Guliyev