WASHINGTON — ThrustMe, a satellite tv for pc propulsion firm primarily based in France, is making a strategic push into the U.S. area market, securing a roster of recent American clients.
The corporate introduced Feb. 4 it has signed offers with a various set of U.S. corporations, together with Starfish House, Astro Digital, Magellan Aerospace, Lumen Orbit, Oligo House, Turion House, and Terran Orbital, a subsidiary of protection large Lockheed Martin.
Based in 2017, ThrustMe focuses on miniaturized, iodine-fueled electrical propulsion methods for small satellites. The corporate in 2021 carried out the primary on-orbit exams of an iodine-fueled electrical propulsion system. The demonstration proved that iodine might be a viable propellant for electrical propulsion methods, main ThrustMe to start the commercialization of the system.
ThrustMe started industrial-scale manufacturing in mid-2023. Since then, the corporate has delivered greater than 150 propulsion methods, with 67 already operational in orbit, based on Ane Aanesland, ThrustMe’s co-founder and chief govt.
“North America is understood for its extremely aggressive area trade, the place worldwide corporations usually face difficulties establishing themselves,” Aanesland mentioned in an announcement. “Securing these clients demonstrates our means to fulfill the rising demand for modern propulsion options.”
The corporate is offering iodine-fueled electrical propulsion for a Canadian authorities satellite tv for pc mission by means of Magellan Aerospace. Lumen Orbit, in the meantime, is integrating ThrustMe’s expertise right into a mission in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) to check in-orbit cloud computing. ThrustMe provided a propulsion system for Turion House’s DROID.002 spacecraft that’s scheduled to launch on the SpaceX Transporter-13 small-satellite rideshare.
The agency has not disclosed direct contracts with U.S. authorities companies, however its increasing U.S. presence may place it for future offers in each the protection and civil area sectors. The U.S. House Pressure, for instance, has requested $20 million for House Servicing, Mobility, and Logistics in its fiscal yr 2025 finances to fund new applied sciences, together with satellites with in-orbit maneuvering capabilities.
Analysts say the satellite tv for pc propulsion market is experiencing a surge in demand as business satellite tv for pc constellations develop and protection companies search extra agile and responsive spacecraft. They level out that propulsion methods are rising as a important enabler of Twenty first-century area operations, with elevated funding from each authorities and private-sector area operators.
