Tag: Propulsion Systems
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Aerojet Rocketdyne Propulsion Plays Crucial Role in Lucy’s Asteroid Flyby Mission
Thrusters supplied by Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, placed NASA’s Lucy spacecraft right on target for its successful November 1 flyby of Dinkinesh, a main-belt asteroid. This flyby was a critical dress rehearsal for Lucy’s primary mission of making the first-ever close-up observations of Trojan-belt asteroids starting in 2027. Lucy passed within 265 miles…
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ThrustMe Doubles Propulsion System Orders and Exceeds 200 Orders in Just Four Months
ThrustMe, an innovator in iodine-based space propulsion, has announced the surpassing of a remarkable 200 orders, doubling its order book within a mere four months. This milestone not only mirrors the exponential growth within the space industry and the dawn of the industrial space era but also underscores the importance of accessible mobility in a…
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NASA’s Innovative Rocket Nozzle to Revolutionize Deep Space Missions
NASA recently built and tested an additively manufactured or 3D-printed rocket engine nozzle made of aluminum, making it lighter than conventional nozzles and setting the course for deep space flights that can carry more payloads. Under the agency’s Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity, engineers from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, partnered with Elementum…
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ESA’s Proba-3 Mission Led by Sener Reaches the Final Test Phase Before Launch
The Proba-3 mission of the European Space Agency (ESA), led by the Sener engineering and technology group, has reached a new milestone after successfully completing the environmental testing campaign of the two satellites at the IABG facilities in Ottobrunn (Germany). The aim of this testing campaign was to ensure that the satellites and their various…
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Maxar Built Psyche Spacecraft Performing Well After Launch
NASA’s longest mission to use commercial solar electric propulsion (SEP) is underway after the launch Psyche mission. Maxar Space Systems, a provider of comprehensive space technologies, built the unique spacecraft chassis based on the Maxar 1300 series bus, the world’s most trusted space platform. The Maxar Space Systems-built Psyche chassis spread its two solar arrays…
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Pale Blue Secures USD 7.5 Million Funding to Set Up Production Facility
Pale Blue has secured USD 7.5M (JPY 1 billion) in the first close of the Series B round of funding coupled with recent bank loans. In addition, the company has been selected by NEDO, a national research and development agency in Japan, for its Deep Tech Startups (DTSU) support program – DMP phase (Demonstration development…
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ANSER Mission’s Formation Flying CubeSats to Launch on Europe’s Next Vega Launcher
ANSER (Advanced Nanosatellite Systems for Earth-observation Research) is a cluster of three CubeSats that will work together in close vicinity as if they are a single satellite. Due to be launched on Europe’s next Vega flight, VV23, the ANSER mission is being undertaken by the INTA (Spanish Institute of Aerospace Technology). Santiago Rodriguez Bustabad, overseeing…
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ISRO Successfully Completes Hot Test of CE20 E13 Engine for the Gaganyaan Program
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the CE20 E13 engine hot test for the Gaganyaan qualification and 22-tonne thrust qualification. The engine developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala was tested at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri on September 22, 2023. The CE20 engine is a vital component, serving as…
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Phase Four’s Maxwell Propulsion System Achieves Flight Heritage
Phase Four, one of the leaders in advanced radio-frequency thrusters for small satellite propulsion, has announced the successful flight heritage of its next-generation Maxwell propulsion system. This marks a major step in deploying state-of-the-art propulsion technology for small satellites. The advances in the Maxwell propulsion system underscore Phase Four’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer-focused…
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Benchmark Awarded Second Contract by AFRL to Test New Thrusters on Non-Toxic Fuel
Tapped to help U.S. defense agencies deploy safer propellant alternatives to hydrazine, Benchmark Space Systems announced a two-year, $2.81 million AFRL SPRINT (Space Propulsion Research and Innovation for Neutralizing Satellite Threats) award to further develop and test flight-optimized thrusters running on ASCENT (Advanced Spacecraft Energetic Non-Toxic) fuel. It is Benchmark’s second SPRINT award in two…