Electric space propulsion Matures the Booming technology space RACE

Project Information

EMBRACE

Grant agreement ID: 823337

DOI

10.3030/823337

Project closed

EC signature date 9 July 2018

Start date 1 August 2018

End date 31 March 2021

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 3 488 781,25

EU contribution

€ 2 442 146,88

Coordinated by

THRUSTME
France

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EMBRACE (Electric space propulsion Matures the Booming technology space RACE)

Reporting period: 2019-11-01 to 2021-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Imagine increasing the number of operational satellites in orbit by one order of magnitude in the next ten years – this is where the industry is heading! Smaller satellites operating together in constellations can outperform the traditional single large and expensive satellites and bring new space capabilities. Satellites constellations will bring connectivity to half the Earth’s population not yet connected and bridge the digital divide. They will monitor the Earth in real-time and under any weather and light conditions, providing data and analytics for better decision-making.

However, for the space industry to remain sustainable with the extensive increase in the number of satellites, streamlined and true turnkey, constellation-friendly propulsion systems are and will be a necessity. ThrustMe’s mission is to enable the growing space industry to remain sustainable while generating value on Earth and beyond.

ThrustMe’s intelligent and standalone propulsion solutions extend the satellite lifetime and optimize the satellite capacity in orbit, enabling faster and more revenue-generating per constellation. On top of that, ThrustMe’s solutions decrease the cost and simplicity of propulsion and allow satellite constellation operators to boost their business models. For example, ThrustMe’s use of solid iodine propellant reduced the propellant cost by over 95% and is the only real turnkey solution on the market!
Satellite constellations need reliable, affordable, user-friendly propulsion systems with suppliers having a production capacity of hundreds of units per year. The NPT30 and I2T5 have demonstrated market fit, and thanks to EMBRACE, these unique systems are now being industrialized.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

ThrustMe provides true turnkey, smart and streamlined in-orbit propulsion solutions.

ThrustMe offers critical solutions for the growing space industry, which is facing new challenges due to the rise of satellite constellations. As experts in in-space propulsion, alternative space propellants, and satellite orbital maneuvering strategies, ThrustMe enables a future where space is used sustainably to create value on Earth and beyond.
Founded in 2017, ThrustMe has a complete portfolio of game-changing turnkey propulsion products that have been tested in space and delivered to pilot clients worldwide. The company made history in 2019 by demonstrating the first iodine cold gas propulsion system in space. It did it again in 2020 with the world's first in-orbit demonstration of an iodine-fueled electric propulsion system: technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the entire industry.
The company leverages over a decade of fundamental and applied research in plasma and beam physics from the joint research centers at the Ecole Polytechnique and the CNRS in France and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University of Ukraine. ThrustMe has demonstrated its worldwide leadership in the use of iodine as an alternative space propellant. The company is pioneering technologies spanning corrosion mitigation, zero-gravity iodine storage, and flow control to iodine plasma sources and beams. Five patents related to the use of iodine in-space propulsion, ion acceleration techniques, and power procession electronics protect ThrustMe's technologies. ThrustMe now enters into the industrialization phase and produces batches of iodine-based propulsion systems, with an order of over 30 products to be delivered to clients in 2021.
When the EMBRACE project started in August 2018, the company had one miniaturized stand-alone electric propulsion product at TRL6. This product is called NPT30, and the main goal for EMBRACE was to bring it to TRL8:

"Thanks to the EMBRACE H2020 SME Instrument Phase 2 project, ThrustMe is now ready to transform a very promising TRL6 proof of concept into an industrialized TRL8 stand-alone system that the space industry is longing to embrace."

ThrustMe had more success in the EMBRACE project than imagined. Instead of having one product at TRL 8 with the first pilot clients, the company entered the market with three products, each with promising pilot clients. Two of these products result from seeing new market opportunities and leveraging the technology and work we have done to develop the NPT30. The two new products are called I2T5, a cold gas propulsion system designed for basic maneuvers of small nano- and micro-satellites, and LTA, a plasma source for ground testing of space hardware.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

ThrustMe became the first company to demonstrate iodine in space.

ThrustMe reached all of the set project objectives, and the company had a market entry with three new products. Thanks to EMBRACE, ThrustMe is pioneering in groundbreaking innovation in-space propulsion, with technologies that can revolutionize the whole industry. Two significant results of EMBRACE made a considerable impact in the space propulsion community:
• In 2019 ThrustMe became the first company in the world to successfully demonstrate iodine as a viable propellant for satellite space propulsion, with the first in-orbit demonstration of an iodine cold gas thruster.
• In 2020 ThrustMe made history again, being the first company to demonstrate an iodine electric space propulsion system successfully.
After these successful demonstrations, ThrustMe has demonstrated product-market fit with already large orders and a solid commercial pipeline.



EMBRACE is the step towards space sustainability

The exponential growth in the number of satellites increases the concern for space sustainability. Over the past year, the industry has witnessed an increasing number of close approaches and larger satellites perform increasing active collision avoidance maneuvers.
True turnkey and streamlined in-orbit space propulsion is a critical component for space sustainability. Propulsion will allow satellites to perform collision avoidance maneuvers and end-of-life de-orbiting.
One of ThrustMe’s pilot clients is the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA), preparing a future maritime surveillance constellation. Together with NOSA, ThrustMe will carry out the first technology demonstration of collision mitigation with a small satellite. The satellite of about 50 kg will perform low-thrust collision avoidance maneuvers using ThrustMe’s NPT30-I2-1.5U electric propulsion system.
Thanks to EMBRACE, ThrustMe anchors its leadership in the safe use of propulsion and drives the future of sustainable use of space to generate value on Earth and beyond.

ThrustMe's Product portfolio

Iodine Thruster plume from the NPT30