High-temperature superconducting magnetoplasmadynamic thruster replaces heavy copper coils with yttrium-barium-copper-oxide

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117376

"lower cost, compact, <1 (was 285) kW, -196°C liquid nitrogen temperatures, 60 (was 220)  kg, 10X more efficient with 3,265 second specific impulse... viable for small satellites: not too heavy/ power-hungry... drastically less propellant mass required, spacecraft can carry more scientific instruments or travel much further into deep space... magnetohydrodynamic (not electromagnetic) model predicts how magnetic field strength/ mass flow affect thrust, providing future design roadmap... deep space exploration"