Electric satellite propulsion has a long history of development, but only recently, with the increase in satellite launches, has its role in space technologies become increasingly prominent. Today, a growing number of satellites require propulsion systems specifically tailored to their diverse missions. Simultaneously, political, economic, and environmental concerns are imposing stringent requirements and limitations on these propulsion systems. Thrusters, whose operational principles were established nearly half a century ago, sometimes cannot satisfy all the demands. This gap led to numerous initiatives to develop disruptive propulsion systems that leverage novel physical principles, which have been overlooked and underutilised for thrust generation. The Capacitively Coupled Radiofrequency (CCRF) discharge, widely used in industries like solar cell production and semiconductor manufacturing, has seen continuous advancements due to its controllability and adaptability. Recently, efforts have focused on applying CCRF to space propulsion systems, though these thrusters currently demonstrate low efficiency. This work focuses on the development of a novel CCRF thruster design. Throughout the study, three thruster prototypes were designed, manufactured, and tested. Two experimental setups were built for this purpose, utilising various plasma diagnostic techniques such as probe diagnostic, retarding potential analyser, laser-induced fluorescence, Raman and Thomson scattering. Additionally, the development of a space-qualified propulsion system based on the designed thruster is detailed in this thesis. The resulting capacitively coupled plasma thruster operates with low overall efficiency. It has demonstrated its ability to accelerate ions to very high energies, which has a prospect for its use as an acceleration stage in multistage thrusters. Furthermore, this work outlines potential methods for increasing thruster efficiency and proposes directions for future experimental research.    «

Electric satellite propulsion has a long history of development, but only recently, with the increase in satellite launches, has its role in space technologies become increasingly prominent. Today, a growing number of satellites require propulsion systems specifically tailored to their diverse missions. Simultaneously, political, economic, and environmental concerns are imposing stringent requirements and limitations on these propulsion systems. Thrusters, whose operational principles were estab...    »