Fast Company
March 19, 2024
Michigan-based Orbion Space Technology builds Aurora, a new type of propulsion system that employs what are known as Hall-effect thrusters, which accelerate propellant using an electric field. Companies that send satellites into space on a rocket can use Orbion’s thrusters to maneuver them precisely to their final destination.
At the end of the satellite’s mission, the thruster helps the satellite come down in a safe, controlled way, burning up in the atmosphere without leaving debris behind. The company began shipping the system to customers in 2023.
In addition to Orbion’s Aurora propulsion system, the company offers the Orbion “El Matador” as an insurance policy against any potential collisions in space. For less than 0.5 kg of added mass, a spacecraft can deliver up to two Newtons of thrust, which allow them to make quick, agile evasive maneuvers. One notable customer is General Atomics, for which Orbion is supplying a propulsion system for a U.S. Space Force prototype weather satellite.
