Firing of the Advanced Cusp Field Thruster (ACFT) in a vacuum chamber.
Propellant: iodine (yellow plasma), then xenon (blue plasma)
Thruster info: https://www.epic-ifact.eu/about/project-overview
Video source 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkvEB61LloQ
Video source 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLf7fzmvHyo
Ignition of a MPD thruster in a vacuum chamber at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Propellant: lithium
Thruster info: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/tech-demonstration/nasa-fires-up-powerful-lithium-fed-thruster-for-trips-to-mars/
Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XsqSA9tNfY
Ignition of the ATHENA-π electrospray thruster in a vacuum chamber. Note that electrospray thrusters do not usually emit any light, on this occasion the vacuum pressure was high enough that the ion jet excited the remaining air in the vacuum chamber.
Propellant: ionic-liquid
Thruster info: https://ienai.space/athena/
Video source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ienaispace_electricpropulsion-spaceindustry-spacetech-activity-6864643619022741504-VB7m?utm
Ignition of a RF electrothermal thruster in a vacuum chamber.
Propellant: neon
Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivkXr_0f9P0
Ignition of the AIS-VAT2 Vacuum Arc Thruster in a vacuum chamber.
Propellant: bismuth
Thruster info: https://appliedionsystems.com/portfolio/ais-vat2-vacuum-arc-thruster/
Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je2w_q4ljtQ