Startup Taps Satellite Maker for First Air-Breathing Propulsion Flight
Announcement Comes as Global Interest in Ultra-Low Orbit Technology Grows
A Spanish propulsion company has hired a Lithuania-based satellite manufacturer to build the spacecraft for what it says will be the first orbital test of an engine that runs on nothing but the atmosphere it flies through.
“By enabling satellites to fly lower, longer, and more efficiently, we are enabling higher-resolution Earth observation, much better satellite communications, more responsive and accurate missions, and a more sustainable orbital infrastructure.”
Adrián Senar, Kreios Space
Kreios Space, based in Nigrán, Spain, announced Aug. 4 that it has selected Kongsberg NanoAvionics, a satellite bus manufacturer headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, to build and fly the mission. NanoAvionics will customize its MP42 microsatellite bus, integrate the payload, run full system testing and commission the satellite in orbit before handing operational control to Kreios Space.
The mission comes as interest in very low Earth orbit, or VLEO, has grown. Kreios Space said in its announcement that China has established a national VLEO industry alliance, and that other companies worldwide have announced missions and investment rounds in the same orbital range, though it did not name them.
The spacecraft will rely on air-breathing electric propulsion, a design that draws in residual oxygen and nitrogen molecules from the thin atmosphere at very low altitudes and ionizes them into thruster propellant, eliminating the need for onboard fuel. Kreios Space said the mission would make it the first company to launch a satellite equipped with this propulsion method into orbit. The company said the technology is intended to allow satellites to operate for extended periods at altitudes of 93 to 186 miles (150 to 300 kilometers), a range where thin air currently limits sustained missions, delivering sharper images, higher-accuracy measurements, lower latency and improved communications link budgets.
The MP42 bus will weigh about 440 pounds (200 kilograms) in its final configuration, including an optical payload the company has not yet announced. Once in orbit, the mission will test the performance of the ABEP thruster, take measurements of the surrounding space environment and capture images with sub-meter resolution in the visible and near-infrared spectral range.
Adrián Senar, chief executive of Kreios Space, said: “Kreios is building the satellites that make sustained operations in Very Low Earth Orbit possible. By enabling satellites to fly lower, longer, and more efficiently, we are enabling higher-resolution Earth observation, much better satellite communications, more responsive and accurate missions, and a more sustainable orbital infrastructure.”
He said: “Partnering with NanoAvionics in our first-in-orbit flight provides us with a satellite bus and market-leading experience necessary to allow us to test our new technology in confidence. It will mark a turning point in the role and value of VLEO.”
Atle Wøllo, chief executive of Kongsberg NanoAvionics, said: “Kreios is tackling one of the most demanding operating environments in space, and this mission joins a very short list of European VLEO initiatives. This contract reflects our customers’ continued confidence in the maturity of our platforms and our ability to tailor them for demanding new mission profiles.”
He said the company’s engineering team “has worked closely with Kreios to configure the MP42 satellite bus to the mission’s specific requirements, and support the integration of Kreios’ technology.”