Vienna, Austria, and Noordelijk, Netherlands, 11 November 2024 – ESA and ENPULSION signed a contract to further develop the performances of the NextGen FEEP MICRO R³ Thruster for a total of € 4 Mio in funding. ENPULSION signed a contract with the European Space Agency to continue the development of its flight-proven MICRO thruster first flown in Q1/2021 which has already been used on high-profile missions, notably MethaneSat. This contract will be dedicated to enhancing the performance of the thruster and boosting its already successful commercialization on global markets. A flight-proven thruster with unmatched performances Building on the heritage of the ENPULSION NANO, ENPULSION has developed a scaled version of the technology to target small and medium-sized spacecraft. The ENPULSION MICRO R³ is engineered in a modular approach, with units clustering easily together to form building blocks that can be arranged for various mission profiles. The first model was successfully operated in space Q1/2021. The ENPULSION MICRO Ris a scaled technology of the ENPULSION NANO with a development history of over 15 years. During this time, there have been hundreds of emitters tested with an ongoing lifetime test. One module and its tank only take up a volume of 1.6 L and can provide more than 50,000 Ns at 4,000 s lsp. The module is simply bolted to the outside of the spacecraft and can be used as a standalone unit or easily be clustered for higher thrust applications. With its efficient ionization process the ENPULSION MICRO R³ can deliver higher specific impulse than any other ion propulsion system currently on the market. “The signing of this important contract is for me another opportunity to personally thank the ESA/ESTEC Team for their trust in our commercial strategy and salute them for their leadership and relentless commitment to supporting the development of FEEP for several decades now. ESA has always been and will remain an important partner of our commercial success and our ambitious technology roadmap”, says Alexander Reissner, CEO and founder of ENPULSION. “The objective of this new contract is to push the performances of our MICRO thruster even further to enable even more innovative missions which is what ENPULSION has been doing since 2016.” In an interview of Dr Josef Aschbacher, General Director of the European Space Agency, during his visit to ENPULSION for the opening of the new company premises last spring, he said “ENPULSION is a prime example of how a successful company is developing and how ESA can efficiently support the development and commercialization of propulsion systems through years of committed collaboration. Congratulations for all the success you have and will have in the future.” Approaching 250 propulsion systems in space and 100% capacity increase With more than 200 propulsion systems in space, and a cumulative on-orbit time of over 450 years, ENPULSION’s Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) technology has become one of the most mature and robust space propulsion technologies in the industry. In the first quarter of 2024 the company has doubled the capacity of its serial production to meet the increasing demand for short and reliable lead times. With ENPULSION’s new 4,000 sqm (43,000 sqft) facilities the company has doubled its capacity in emitter manufacturing and has additional space to increase its whole manufacturing capacity by 100%, with the goal to further advance its position as the most dependable provider of in-space mobility solutions in the market. The company has taken additional actions to further increase capacity (vacuum chambers and several other long lead-time items are already ordered). ENPULSION’s 150 sqm (1,600 sqft) clean room is also prepared for an additional 100% capacity increase – an industry-leading capability. About the European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA is an international organisation with 22 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. ESA’s 22 Member States are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. About ENPULSION With close to 250 propulsion systems in space, more than 300 propulsion systems delivered, and over 450 years of accumulated on-orbit operation, ENPULSION is a global reference for electric propulsion systems for nano- and microsatellites. The company supports more than 40 customers on four continents, from its headquarters in Austria and offices in the US and France. Its products are based on the company’s proprietary Field-Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) technology, behind which are more than 30 years of research and development work in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the FOTEC Research Facility. In 2024 ENPULSION has tripled the size of its company facilities to 4,000 sqm (43,000 sqft) to further advance its position as the most dependable provider of in-space mobility solutions in the market, as well as offering short and reliable lead times. Media contact Martin Sarret, Policy and Institutional Affairs Manager, ENPULSION martin.sarret@enpulsion.com
