Solid State Propulsion provides a fully solid‑state vacuum arc thruster for nanosatellites, delivering up to 200 µN of thrust and 700 seconds specific impulse within a 45 × 45 × 25 mm package.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Small satellite missions require propulsion systems that are both extremely compact and highly reliable, yet traditional electric thrusters rely on pressurised propellant tanks, valves, and complex plumbing, which add mass, volume, and failure points that are difficult to accommodate on nanosat platforms.
Solution
Solid State Propulsion offers a solid‑state vacuum arc thruster that fits within a 45 × 45 × 25 mm envelope and delivers up to 200 µN of thrust with a specific impulse of 700 seconds. The design creates pulsed electric arcs between anode and cathode electrodes, turning a small amount of unpressurised solid metal fuel into high‑velocity plasma without any moving parts or propellant lines. This eliminates valve and tank failure modes, reduces integration complexity, and enables precise micronewton‑second impulse control for applications such as formation flying and attitude adjustment. The thruster operates on 0.25–20 W of input power, making it suitable for the limited power budgets of nanosatellites while providing chemical‑rocket‑equivalent total impulse over extended pulsed operation.
Target Audience
Primary customers are nanosatellite manufacturers, small‑sat mission integrators, and satellite operators needing reliable, low‑mass propulsion for attitude control, orbit maintenance, or formation‑flying applications.
Features
- Fully solid‑state architecture with no moving parts, valves, or pressurised tanks
- Pulsed vacuum arc discharge that converts solid metal fuel into high‑velocity plasma
- Compact 45 × 45 × 25 mm form factor compatible with standard nanosatellite bus layouts
- Thrust range up to 200 µN and specific impulse of 700 seconds at 0.25–20 W input power
- Precise impulse-bit control through high‑frequency pulsing for formation‑flight and fine attitude maneuvers
- Proven robustness demonstrated in high‑altitude balloon tests with post‑flight operation