Among the exciting revolutionary technologies that Deep Space 1 tested in space are:

An ion propulsion engine prototype undergoes testing in a vacuum chamber.

Unlike chemical rocket engines, ion engines accelerate nearly continuously, giving each ion a tremendous burst of speed. The DS1 engine provides about 10 times the specific impulse (ratio of thrust to propellant used) of chemical propulsion.

Using images of asteroids and stars collected by the onboard camera system, the onboard navigator system computes and corrects the spacecraft's course. Earlier spacecraft navigation systems relied on human controllers on Earth.

This technology will eventually reduce the need for mission controllers on Earth to monitor the health of the spacecraft at all times. The spacecraft's beacon monitor has the capability to beam one of four signals to Earth summarizing its status and indicating the urgency of its need for human intervention.

The advanced solar concentrator arrays that provide power to the ion engine are more efficient than conventional arrays, and cost and weigh less.

New low-mass communications devices include a miniaturized 3.2-kilogram transponder and a high-frequency, solid-state amplifier that amplifies the transponder radio signal. A system with similar capability using current technology would be more than twice as heavy and cost three times as much.

Sophisticated ultraminiaturized electronics that consume less power, and a multifunctional structure that integrates electronics with the spacecraft, demonstrate futuristic technologies for making the spacecraft smaller, lighter, and more efficient.

This experiment is composed of an "agent" that can plan, make decisions, and operate by itself. Sophisticated software is programmed into the spacecraft's computer to allow it to think and act on its own, without human intervention or guidance. The agent also knows when a failure has occurred, what to do about it, and when to call for help.

The camera-imaging spectrometer package is about 10 times less in mass, cost, and power consumption than conventional intruments that perform similar tasks. Comparative imaging will be done with a standard charge-coupled device and a new active pixel sensor, which integrates electronics and detector on a fingernail-sized chip.

The mass of this instrument that is considered a "space physics package" is less than 25% that of currently used comparable instruments. It also requires about 50% less power than conventional instruments.