"We are thrilled to partner with Solid State Propulsion"
–Joe Latrell, CEO and Founder of Quub, Inc.
Read the full press release here.
Compact.
Reliable.
Propulsion.
Propulsion
A reliable electric plasma rocket engine in just 45x45x25mm package.
200µN
Thrust
700s
Specific Impulse
0.25-20W
Input Power
SSP: Vacuum ARc THRuster
How Our
Thruster
Works.
We create pulsed electric arcs between two electrodes on our thruster, the anode and cathode. These arcs concentrate in tiny regions known as cathode spots.
Each cathode spot is like its own tiny rocket engine, turning the cathode metal into a high velocity plasma and generating thrust to propel your satellite.
Less hype, more thrust.
The Solid State Propulsion Vacuum Arc Thruster is exactly what it sounds like: a completely solid-state propulsion solution for nanosatellites leveraging the latest advancements in vacuum arc technology.
Our thruster
Solid.
Reliable.
The entire system being completely solid-state increases reliability considerably. There is no possibility of a propellant line becoming jammed, a valve failing or a tank leaking because there are simply no moving parts in the entire thruster.
Using unpressurised highly dense solid metal fuel allows a small form factor thruster that can be easily transported, stored and integrated.
A preliminary high altitude balloon test in collaboration with the Secunda Amateur Radio Club (SARC) in 2021 proved the robustness of the solid state design as the thruster survived the flight and operated after recovery.
Pulsed Operation.
By firing hundreds of thousands of short pulses of our thruster over several days, we build up the same total impulse or ‘push’ for your satellite as firing a chemical rocket engine for several minutes would – but without the huge mass and volume penalty associated with a chemical engine. The low mass and power requirements of our thruster make it perfect for a number of applications shown below, and the pulsed operation allows micronewton second accurate impulse bit control for precision applications such as formation flying.
Orbit Raising
Formation Flying
Orbit Maintenance
Deorbiting
Attitude Control
Collision Avoidance
1W for 1 Day = +1km Orbit Increase
Consider a 1U CubeSat equipped with the SSP Vacuum Arc Thruster in a circular orbit at 525km altitude. Firing the thruster for just 1 day at 1W input power will impart a delta-V of 0.7m/s and increase the altitude by 1.27km. Similarly, 1 week of thruster firing at 1 watt input power will increase the altitude by approximately 8.35km. These calculations show the flexibility of the thruster and how just a few days of firing at low input power can offset atmospheric drag for the whole year.
Our Partners
Quam sodales volutpat eget aliquet massa urna risus faucibus turpis malesuada nibh dictum elementum ornare tristique.
Julia Keys
UI Designer
Sed adipiscing adipiscing feugiat platea egestas varius eget enim laoreet pharetra, vulputate vitae elementum bibendum neque
Richard Durgan
Graphic Designer
Dui, ultrices odio ipsum morbi sit semper nunc neque fames at elit praesent purus molestie eget
Pete Anderson
Visual Artist
Get the Datasheet
SSP: Vacuum Arc Thruster
Asteroid Mining
Find out about our asteroid fuel
Templates
Mockups
No Downloads found
We are excited to announce our partnership with the Orbit CubeSat team from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), one of the most exciting space teams in all of Europe.
Paul Stansell
Project manager, ssp
Solid state propulsion
Thruster Beta Test
We are developing our thruster in partnership with several space teams in order to make the best thruster possible. We are actively seeking teams who are interested in testing the thruster and flying it on their missions. Apply to join the beta test via the form below.
Beta Test
Available Thrusters
5
/5
Available
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Our thruster requires 5V and GND for power and 2 PWM signals at 3V or 5V for control.
Yes, we are working on an even smaller thruster design for PocketQube.