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Engine · Space

Astra Spacecraft Engine

Flight-proven Hall-effect electric propulsion system for small satellites, running on xenon or krypton.

by Astra · First fielded 2021

FieldedEngineSpace
astra.com/satellite-engine
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About Astra Spacecraft Engine

Electric propulsion system for spacecraft under 1 kW, originally developed by Apollo Fusion (acquired by Astra in 2021). A magnetically shielded thruster with a heaterless instant-start cathode delivers about 25 mN on xenon at about 1,400 s specific impulse, paired with a radiation-hardened power processing unit, feed system and COPV tank; 2- to 4-thruster configurations are offered. Astra reported delivering more than 110 engine systems by January 2025.

Timeline

No milestones recorded for Astra Spacecraft Engine yet. First fielded in 2021. The timeline fills in as unveilings, tests, contracts and deliveries are sourced.

In Service

First fielded
2021