[CLSTR]
< Back to situations

This situation has concluded

It was preserved as a record on September 10; the timeline below shows how it unfolded, with sources. Get the briefing to follow the top situations still developing: three emails a week, sourced and in order.

[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]

2 clusters · 5 sources · 7 days · First seen · Last updated

Kreios Space VLEO propulsion technology development

Overview

Spanish satellite developer Kreios Space has announced plans to test a pioneering Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) system in orbit. Supported by a NATO innovation fund, the mission aims to demonstrate sustained operations in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) at altitudes between 100 and 400 kilometers.

The technology utilizes the MP42 microsatellite bus from Lithuanian company Kongsberg NanoAvionics. The ABEP system is designed to ingest residual atmospheric gases, such as oxygen and nitrogen, to generate thrust and counteract atmospheric drag. This approach seeks to reduce the need for large onboard fuel reserves, potentially lowering launch costs and enabling higher-resolution Earth observation and lower-latency communications.

The mission, scheduled for 2028, will focus on validating the propulsion technology, collecting environmental data, and capturing sub-metric resolution imagery in visible and near-infrared spectral ranges.

Entities

Kongsberg NanoAvionics · Kreios Space · Adrián Senar · Air‑Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) · MP42 microsatellite bus

Timeline

  1. about 1 month ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
    Kreios Space to test air-breathing propulsion in orbit

    Spanish startup Kreios Space will test an air-breathing electric propulsion system in 2028 to enable satellites to operate in Very Low Earth Orbit using atmospheric gases as fuel.

  2. about 1 month ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Kreios Space selects Kongsberg NanoAvionics for first VLEO satellite with air‑breathing propulsion

    Kreios Space will launch a VLEO demo satellite using Kongsberg NanoAvionics' MP42 bus and an air‑breathing electric propulsion system to validate sustained low‑orbit operations.

Sources

atlantico.net · donanimhaber.com · gizmodo.es · news.satnews.com · triplenlace.com