SAN FRANCISCO – Southern California startup Viridian Space Corp. is developing an electric propulsion system for spacecraft in very low Earth orbit

Viridian develops on air-breathing electric propulsion

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2024-10-31 11:30:15

SAN FRANCISCO – Southern California startup Viridian Space Corp. is developing an electric propulsion system for spacecraft in very low Earth orbit that scoops up air for plasma thrusters.

The technology promises to extend the life of satellites and enable them to move around in orbit, Rostislav Spektor, Viridian CEO and former manager of the Aerospace Corp. electric propulsion laboratory, told SpaceNews.

Research on air-scooping electric propulsion began in the 1960s. Until recently, the idea was often dismissed because no one had succeeded in producing engines with enough thrust to offset the atmospheric drag.

“Everyone who has tried this up to now has failed because they just weren’t able to figure out how to make the system efficient enough,” Spektor said.

Since Viridian was founded in El Segundo, California, in 2021, Spektor and co-founder Matthew Feldman, a former Aerospace Corp. research engineer, have “improved the overall efficiency of our system to the point where prototype hardware tested in a vacuum chamber is working on efficiencies required to make it feasible,” Spektor said. “I believe we’re one of the first companies to demonstrate that.” VLEO’s Promise

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