Enpulsion Reveals New Electric Thrusters

What's the latest in electric spacecraft propulsion? ⚡ 🛰️ Well, last month ENPULSION unveiled Nexus, their most advanced electric propulsion system ever developed, specifically designed for spacecraft up to 500 kilograms.

What Makes Nexus Revolutionary?

Built on Enpulsion's Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) platform, Nexus evolves from their TRL 9 Micro R3 system with 280+ units in orbit. 

The breakthrough? 

Optimized thrust-to-power ratio that tackles electric propulsion's biggest challenge - slow initial orbit-raising speeds.

Nexus vs Hall Effect Thrusters

Unlike Hall Effect Thrusters (HET), which use xenon gas stored under high pressure, Nexus employs solid indium propellant that requires no pressurized tanks or chemical energy storage. Indium is over seven times denser than xenon, costs significantly less, and eliminates the safety and logistical challenges of handling high-pressure xenon. While HETs typically achieve a specific impulse around 1,600 seconds a, Nexus delivers specific impulse up to 4,500 seconds with micro- to milli­newton-level precision and a superior thrust-to-power ratio. The result is faster orbit-raising, finer maneuvering, and a more compact, non-ITAR solution for international customers.

Key Applications & Advantages

Nexus targets diverse missions including orbit-raising for SDA-class buses, constellation maneuvering, defense missions, and stationkeeping. The system offers flexible clustering and provides a compact solution for customers.

Enpulsion's Track Record

With 280+ propulsion systems in space and 420+ cumulative years on-orbit, Enpulsion leads small satellite electric propulsion globally. The Vienna-based company has delivered 250+ thrusters to 36 commercial customers across four continents.

Image credits: ENPULSION