In this study, the design and experimental characterization of a LaB6 hollow cathode utilizing a novel heater made of graphite are presented. Hollow cathodes commonly use heaters where a refractory metal wire is wound around a high temperature ceramic insulator with grooves. These heaters have issues related to thermal fatigue and the recrystalization embrittleness of the heater wire at high temperatures causing the cathode to malfunction, leading to short lifetime. Rather than using refractory metals, a heater made of graphite is designed and integrated into an existing hollow cathode. The graphite can be manufactured easily and does not show any embrittlement at high temperatures, which increases its operational life time. Additionally, due to its lower sputtering yield, undesirable operational conditions are eliminated. A zig-zag shape is used to tailor the geometry to reach desired resistance value of the heater. The presented graphite-heater eliminates these problems as long as enough care is taken in its initial manufacturing and assembly stage. Additionally, the design of the graphite-heater can be modified in such a way to provide heating to a targeted area, which help decrease the required heater power as well as increase the heating speed of the cathode insert material. Successful tests of the hollow cathode with the novel graphite heater indicate long lifetime and steady operation performance, making it suitable for use in real space missions.