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New Scientist

Many satellites use xenon as a propellant to help them change orbit or avoid collisions, but the gas is expensive – now we know iodine provides a cheaper alternative.

Le Point

ThrustMe a publié dans "Nature" les résultats du test de son moteur révolutionnaire pour les nanosatellites, fondé sur l’iode et l’électricité. Explications.

The Independent

Engineers have successfully tested a spacecraft powered by iodine, in a development that could help transform spaceflight.

At the moment, spacecraft that use electric propulsion usually use xenon. But it is expensive, difficult to store and rare to find.

Inside Science

Right now, there is a unique spacecraft orbiting our planet. Its secret is the iodine propellant it uses to maneuver in space.

The spacecraft, launched in 2020, is a type of miniaturized satellite called a CubeSat, weighing about 45 pounds (20 kilograms), and it's the first satellite to use iodine to convert electrical energy to ion propulsion. The mission could pave the way for a new generation of smaller, cheaper spacecraft, according to a paper published today in the journal Nature.

Ars Technica

Most people are probably familiar with iodine through its role as a disinfectant. But if you stayed awake through high school chemistry, then you may have seen a demonstration where powdered iodine was heated. Because its melting and boiling points are very close together at atmospheric pressures, iodine will readily form a purple gas when heated. At lower pressures, it'll go directly from solid to gas, a process called sublimation.

That, as it turns out, could make it the perfect fuel for a form of highly efficient spacecraft propulsion hardware called ion thrusters...

Canberra Innovation Network

Did you know that not all ThrustMe employees are in France ? In this Canberra Innovation Network article, you will meet Trevor Lafleur, our Principal Engineer, and his innovative working space in Australia.