Aerospace demonstrates DiskSat electric propulsion in orbit

(SpaceEnergy) US research group The Aerospace Corporation says its DiskSat spacecraft have demonstrated field emission electric propulsion in orbit during their first six months of operations.

Four 1m-diameter, 2.5cm-thick DiskSats launched on 18 December 2025 and were deployed into a 550km orbit. Aerospace disclosed the operational results in a Small Satellite Conference paper made available on 22 August.

Each spacecraft carries a field emission electric propulsion (FEEP) system producing 300µN of thrust and providing up to 700m/s of delta-v. Aerospace said the thrusters have been commissioned and operated continuously for periods of several days to both raise and lower the satellites’ orbits.

The company said the propulsion system provides enough thrust for a DiskSat to maintain an altitude as low as 250km for more than a year.

The spacecraft have also demonstrated power generation exceeding 100W on each 17kg satellite, with stored energy of up to 282Wh. Aerospace said several months of operations have demonstrated the platform’s potential for high-power missions in very low Earth orbit.