Electric Space Propulsion to Get Fusion Boost
Electric Space Propulsion to Get Fusion Boost
Startup to test new engine technology in orbit early next year.
RocketStar, a developer of spacecraft engine technologies, recently announced the successful demonstration of its FireStar Drive, which promises improved performance over other electric ion thruster systems by injecting boron into its exhaust plume.
“It sounds like science fiction,” said Brent Abbott, chief revenue officer at Rogue Space Systems, of the concept of adding boron to the exhaust. Rogue Space Systems will be testing the FireStar Drive on its Barry-2 spacecraft in early 2025 pending successful completion of ground tests scheduled for the remainder of this year.
Ion thrusters were first demonstrated in the 1960s, and today they are widely used in spacecraft technology. These propulsion systems feature higher exhaust speeds than conventional chemical rockets, so while the thrust may be weaker and unsuitable for launching from the surface of the Earth, they perform more efficiently in microgravity environments.
Fusion Drive ionizes water vapor, producing high-speed protons that fuse with boron atoms, releasing a burst of energy in the form of alpha particles. Image by RocketStar
Application of the technology promises to be beneficial for those satellites or spacecraft that stay in orbit for long periods, but still require maneuverability.
RocketStar developed the FireStar Drive as part of a small business innovation research (SBIR) program to produce a novel plasma thruster for AFWERX, an arm of the Department of the Air Force and Air Force Research Library supporting advanced defense technologies. Additional tests at Georgia Tech's High Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory in Atlanta validated the SBIR discovery, showing the addition of boron to the core propellant of ionized water improved the base propulsion unit’s thrust by 50 percent.
According to the company, protons produced as a by-product of the electric thrust move fast enough to penetrate the nuclei of boron. The fusion reaction creates an unstable carbon nucleus that quickly splits into three helium ions, also known as alpha particles. The boron boost to the FireStarDrive is similar to an afterburner enhancing the thrust of a jet engine by introducing fuel into the exhaust, according to a RocketStar news release.
“It's incredibly efficient,” Abbott said, “because it accelerates atoms at the molecular scale.”
The February 2025 Rogue Space Systems space test will be the next critical step for the technology, according to Abbott. “Nobody wants to buy something that hasn't been tested in space. They always want to be the one to buy the second one that’s already been tested,” he said.
“Propulsion in space is very critical to our business case,” Abbott said. “Our purpose is to go around to other satellites. To understand what’s on the market for the best propulsion systems is huge for us,” he added.
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If the space tests go well, Abbott said Rogue may consider using RocketStar’s technology to advance its own company’s goals in space exploration.
The space test deal between RocketStar and Rogue Space Systems evolved after conversations held at their nearby exhibit booths at the annual Satellite trade show held in Washington, D.C., a few years ago.
“They’ll pay us to test their system on orbit to see if it moves our satellite as much as they think it should, and then we're interested in using it in future missions to enable our business, which is robotic servicing logistics, moving things around in space,” Abbott said.
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RocketStar offers a current electric thruster available to customers called M1.5, which will be demonstrated in space as a hosted payload on D-Orbit’s proprietary OTV ION Satellite Carrier during two SpaceX Transporter missions scheduled for next month and again in October.
Rogue is testing other types of propulsion systems for other companies, including the Quantum Drive made by IVO, which uses no fuel, only electricity, by drawing power from the sun for propulsion. Rogue is also flying and testing an encryption system, some of its own equipment, and it has plans for a larger satellite launch at the end of 2025.
Nancy Kristof is a technology writer in Denver.
“It sounds like science fiction,” said Brent Abbott, chief revenue officer at Rogue Space Systems, of the concept of adding boron to the exhaust. Rogue Space Systems will be testing the FireStar Drive on its Barry-2 spacecraft in early 2025 pending successful completion of ground tests scheduled for the remainder of this year.
Ion thrusters
Ion thrusters were first demonstrated in the 1960s, and today they are widely used in spacecraft technology. These propulsion systems feature higher exhaust speeds than conventional chemical rockets, so while the thrust may be weaker and unsuitable for launching from the surface of the Earth, they perform more efficiently in microgravity environments.
Fusion Drive ionizes water vapor, producing high-speed protons that fuse with boron atoms, releasing a burst of energy in the form of alpha particles. Image by RocketStar
RocketStar developed the FireStar Drive as part of a small business innovation research (SBIR) program to produce a novel plasma thruster for AFWERX, an arm of the Department of the Air Force and Air Force Research Library supporting advanced defense technologies. Additional tests at Georgia Tech's High Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory in Atlanta validated the SBIR discovery, showing the addition of boron to the core propellant of ionized water improved the base propulsion unit’s thrust by 50 percent.
According to the company, protons produced as a by-product of the electric thrust move fast enough to penetrate the nuclei of boron. The fusion reaction creates an unstable carbon nucleus that quickly splits into three helium ions, also known as alpha particles. The boron boost to the FireStarDrive is similar to an afterburner enhancing the thrust of a jet engine by introducing fuel into the exhaust, according to a RocketStar news release.
“It's incredibly efficient,” Abbott said, “because it accelerates atoms at the molecular scale.”
Next steps
The February 2025 Rogue Space Systems space test will be the next critical step for the technology, according to Abbott. “Nobody wants to buy something that hasn't been tested in space. They always want to be the one to buy the second one that’s already been tested,” he said. “Propulsion in space is very critical to our business case,” Abbott said. “Our purpose is to go around to other satellites. To understand what’s on the market for the best propulsion systems is huge for us,” he added.
Discover the Benefits of ASME Membership
If the space tests go well, Abbott said Rogue may consider using RocketStar’s technology to advance its own company’s goals in space exploration.
The space test deal between RocketStar and Rogue Space Systems evolved after conversations held at their nearby exhibit booths at the annual Satellite trade show held in Washington, D.C., a few years ago.
“They’ll pay us to test their system on orbit to see if it moves our satellite as much as they think it should, and then we're interested in using it in future missions to enable our business, which is robotic servicing logistics, moving things around in space,” Abbott said.
More For You: Revolutionizing Hypersonic Travel
RocketStar offers a current electric thruster available to customers called M1.5, which will be demonstrated in space as a hosted payload on D-Orbit’s proprietary OTV ION Satellite Carrier during two SpaceX Transporter missions scheduled for next month and again in October.
Rogue is testing other types of propulsion systems for other companies, including the Quantum Drive made by IVO, which uses no fuel, only electricity, by drawing power from the sun for propulsion. Rogue is also flying and testing an encryption system, some of its own equipment, and it has plans for a larger satellite launch at the end of 2025.
Nancy Kristof is a technology writer in Denver.
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