Terran, Safran to Partner on Satellite Propulsion Written 23 June 2023
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6 kW Hall thruster in operation at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory | Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Wikipedia; Public Domain
Space News reports that satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital “has signed an agreement with French aerospace giant Safran to explore U.S.-based production of satellite propulsion systems, the companies announced June 23.” Under the agreement, Safran Electronics & Defense and Terran Orbital “will investigate opportunities and prerequisites for the production of electric propulsion systems for satellites based on Safran’s PPSX00 plasma thruster.” The PPSX00 “is a hall effect plasma thruster, recently introduced by Safran for the low Earth orbit satellite market.” Safran said, “Plasma propulsion has become the go-to solution for satellite positioning, orbital transfer and stationkeeping, because it offers significant weight savings over conventional chemical propulsion.”
Full Story (Space News)