If you were a fan of science fiction, like me, you may remember one original Star Trek episode in which the crew of the Enterprise tracked another space craft by following the ion trail left by the ship's ion propulsion system. In fact, a real ion propulsion system is now one ready for prime time, and is currently in use by NASA.
The ion propulsion system is well suited to long voyages, but also requires sunlight to provide electricity so it is, at present, largely limited to use within the solar system. It is also limited in the amount of acceleration that it can provide. As a result, it is not capable of overcoming the gravity of any sizable planetary body.
Science Fiction, Science Fact: Ion Propulsion Systems - Yahoo! News
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