{"id":20955,"date":"2025-01-09T21:41:07","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T13:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/pale-blue-teams-up-with-d-orbit-to-advance-water-based-propulsion-for-small-satellites\/"},"modified":"2025-01-09T21:41:07","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T13:41:07","slug":"pale-blue-teams-up-with-d-orbit-to-advance-water-based-propulsion-for-small-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/pale-blue-teams-up-with-d-orbit-to-advance-water-based-propulsion-for-small-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Pale Blue Teams Up with D-Orbit to Advance Water-Based Propulsion for Small Satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pale Blue, a University of Tokyo spinoff, is set to demonstrate its water-based ion thruster technology in collaboration with D-Orbit, marking a significant milestone in sustainable space operations.<\/em><\/p>\n

Pale Blue\u2019s latest propulsion system, the Pale Blue 1U+ Water Ion Thruster, is designed to help small satellites navigate through space by allowing them to maneuver, avoid space debris, and de-orbit when missions conclude. The thruster, slightly larger than a 10-centimeter cube, uses water-based propellants to power satellite movement, providing a safer and more efficient alternative to traditional propulsion systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy partnering with D-Orbit, we are taking a significant step forward in validating the performance and reliability of our propulsion technology,\u201d said Jun Asakawa, co-founder and CEO of Pale Blue. \u201cThis collaboration will enable us to meet the growing demand, while contributing to space sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new propulsion system, which leverages water as a propellant, promises advantages such as safety, availability, and ease of handling, assuming it performs as expected in orbit. Pale Blue is aiming to demonstrate the performance of its water-based thruster during two flights on D-Orbit\u2019s ION Satellite Carrier in June and October 2025.<\/p>\n

Pale Blue\u2019s journey into space propulsion technology began with the successful deployment of its Resistojet thruster in 2023. The company has since raised $16 million in a Series B funding round and secured a $27 million contract from Japan\u2019s Small Business Innovation Research program to further develop its water-based ion and Hall-effect thrusters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are confident that our water-based propulsion system will redefine the future of satellite missions and open up new possibilities for space exploration,\u201d Asakawa remarked.<\/p>\n

D-Orbit, a leading player in satellite deployment and hosting services, has supported 105 satellites and hosted 48 payloads across 14 ION missions since 2020. The company has now entered a partnership with Pale Blue, marking its first collaboration with a Japanese firm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWater-based propulsion technology perfectly aligns with D-Orbit\u2019s commitment to sustainable space operations,\u201d said Renato Panesi, D-Orbit co-founder and chief commercial officer. \u201cDrawing on our extensive experience in successful in-orbit demonstrations and the proven versatility of ION Satellite Carrier, we are happy to support Pale Blue in advancing their innovative propulsion solution.<\/p>\n

The partnership also expands D-Orbit\u2019s presence in the Asia-Pacific region. As part of a wider strategic push, D-Orbit secured exclusive distribution rights for its services in Japan and Southeast Asia through Marubeni Corp., a key partner in the company\u2019s Series C funding round.<\/p>\n

Ash Takao, D-Orbit\u2019s sales development manager and member of Marubeni, noted that the new contract with Pale Blue \u201chighlights our commitment to strengthening ties within Japan\u2019s advanced space sector and expanding D-Orbit\u2019s reach in the Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n

With growing interest in sustainable space technologies, Pale Blue\u2019s water-based propulsion system is expected to play a key role in the future of satellite missions, offering a safer and more sustainable alternative to conventional propulsion methods.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pale Blue, a University of Tokyo spinoff, is set to demonstrate its water-based ion thruster technology in collaboration with D-Orbit, marking a significant milestone in sustainable space operations. Pale Blue\u2019s latest propulsion system, the Pale Blue 1U+ Water Ion Thruster, is designed to help small satellites navigate through space by allowing them to maneuver, avoid […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20956,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20955"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}