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With growing space industry demand, and the rise of satellite mega-constellations, a viable alternative to conventional xenon propellant is necessary to ensure a sustainable space industry. Today, Ane Aanesland, Dmytro Rafalskyi and Javier Martínez Martínez won the European Physical Society Plasma Physics Innovation Prize for the technological, industrial and societal applications of research in plasma physics through their pioneering development of iodine-fueled plasma-based electric propulsion systems for satellites.

ThrustMe has successfully tested an iodine-fuelled electric propulsion system in space and results of this historic demonstration have been published today in one of the leading scientific journals, Nature. These results confirm for the first time that iodine is not only a viable alternative to conventional xenon propellant, but that it also enables extreme propulsion system miniaturization. This provides small satellites with new maneuvering and space exploration potential, and critical new collision avoidance and deorbiting capabilities that will prove vital for the long-term sustainability of the space industry.

ThrustMe has signed a research agreement with the Research School of Physics at the Australian National University (ANU) to study new electrothermal plasma systems and alternative propellants for space applications including spacecraft propulsion, simulation of low-Earth-orbit environments and future in-situ resource utilization. The plasma systems also have important ground-based industrial applications related to material processing and waste gas disposal.

The Norwegian Space Agency and ThrustMe announce that they have completed trial integration of ThrustMe's NPT30-I2 propulsion system into the NorSat- TD satellite. During the mission, which is on schedule for launch in early 2022, both parties will demonstrate, amongst other things, just-in-time, low-thrust satellite collision avoidance maneuvers—a critical capability for acting on space situational awareness data and ensuring a sustainable space environment.

The space industry seeks new solutions to ensure economic and environmental space sustainability with the rise of satellite mega-constellations. A solution lies in the use of in-orbit propulsion, but traditional systems are not fit for the New Space paradigm. Today, ThrustMe announces that they have successfully tested the first iodine-fuelled electric propulsion system in space aboard the Beihangkongshi-1 satellite. This world first in-orbit demonstration has the potential to transform the space industry.

ThrustMe and a commercial client today announced a new space launch, the 3rd in an ongoing series. This time ThrustMe client launched their Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite, Hisea-1, which is the world’s first commercial C-band small satellite SAR with a phased-array antenna. On board is ThrustMe’s Iodine Electric Propulsion system to provide the satellite with crucial orbit maintenance, collision avoidance and de-orbiting at the end of its three years expected lifetime. The satellite was successfully launched into space on the inaugural flight of the Chinese medium-lift Long March 8 rocket, from Wenchang, China.