Tag: Propulsion Systems
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ESA’s Spacecraft for Asteroid Mission Successfully Assembled
ESA’s asteroid mission for planetary defense was built and prepared in two halves, but now, through a painstaking operation, they have been mated together to make a single spacecraft, ready for full-scale testing of its readiness for space. The mating took place at OHB Bremen in Germany, with Hera’s Core Module raised more than 3…
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Firefly Aerospace Showcases New Elytra Orbital Vehicles with Enhanced On-Orbit Mobility
Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space transportation company, announced the expansion of its on-orbit services with a line of highly mobile and scalable orbital vehicles named Elytra. As the wings of a firefly, Elytra (pronounced ella-truh) offers on-orbit mobility, hosting, delivery, and servicing across cislunar space and beyond. When launched on Firefly’s small- and medium-lift launch…
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Pale Blue to Supply Water-Based Propulsion Systems for Yonsei University
Pale Blue, a space tech company focused on innovative propulsion technology has been awarded a new contract with Yonsei University in South Korea to provide the Resistojet (0.5U-sized water vapor) propulsion system for a pair of 6U satellites. The propulsion system will be used to do formation flying for a laser crosslink system between the…
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Benchmark Introduces First-Ever Autopilot For Satellites at SmallSat 2023
With operational small satellite constellations scaling fast, and regulatory controls for sustainability quickly emerging, Benchmark Space Systems has announced the commercial launch of the first-ever driver-assist control system capable of managing highly precise satellite maneuvers and travel through increasingly congested space. The category-defining propulsion solution called SmartAIM (Smart Advanced In-Space Mobility) features an onboard software…
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Phase Four Announces its New Maxwell Block 3 Plasma Propulsion Thruster
Phase Four, the creator of the radio-frequency thruster for satellite propulsion, announced its highly anticipated Maxwell Block 3 turn-key plasma propulsion thruster. The Maxwell Block 3 offers satellite manufacturers performance that exceeds Hall Effect Thrusters when operated with krypton, a first for any electrodeless thruster. Maxwell Block 3’s innovative architecture builds on the flight heritage…
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NASA Conducts Successful Tests of Solid Rocket Motors for Mars Ascent Vehicle
NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) recently reached some major milestones in support of the Mars Sample Return program. The Mars Ascent Vehicle would be the first launch of a rocket from the surface of another planet. The team developing MAV conducted successful tests of the first and second-stage solid rocket motors needed for the launch. …
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Lockheed Martin Wins Contract from DARPA to Develop Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft
Lockheed Martin has won a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and demonstrate a nuclear-powered spacecraft under a project called Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO). The project will represent a rapid advancement in propulsion technology to benefit exploration and national defense. DARPA partnered with NASA’s Space Technology Mission…
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ISRO Successfully Conducts Hot Test of Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS) on July 19, 2023, at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri. This test involved five liquid apogee motor (LAM) engines with a thrust of 440 N and sixteen reaction control system (RCS) Thrusters with a thrust of 100 N. The Service…
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Phase Four Selected by AFWERX to Develop Critical Technology for Electric Propulsion
Phase Four announced that it has been selected by AFWERX for a Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract in the amount of $4.26M focused on developing a Propellant Decomposition Chamber for propellant-agnostic electric propulsion to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have…
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NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne Begin Testing on Cutting-Edge Solar Electric Propulsion Thrusters
Engineers from NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne are beginning qualification testing on the cutting-edge solar electric propulsion (SEP) thrusters that will change the in-space propulsion game. The culmination of this work will see these innovative thrusters fly on Gateway beginning in 2025, making it the most powerful SEP spacecraft ever flown. Gateway is a lunar space…