Engineering high voltage in the space vacuum

The interest in the use of high voltage in electrical power systems has grown significantly. Applications include space exploration and utilization, defense, and communication technologies. Voltages up to 100´s of kilovolts have been proposed, using the space vacuum as insulation. Numerous research efforts, both experimental and modeling have furthered our knowledge of how to engineer electrical power systems to utilize the space vacuum. This paper briefly reviews the modeling efforts to further our understanding of the physics of electrical breakdown in the space vacuum, and will expound upon the body of knowledge that has come out of these efforts to allow us to actually engineer systems for the space vacuum. Results of both the author, and others are included in this review of new knowledge