CU Aerospace puts two polymer thrusters through first in-orbit tests

(SpaceEnergy) US small-satellite propulsion developer CU Aerospace has established flight heritage for two solid-polymer thrusters aboard its NASA-funded Dual Propulsion Experiment CubeSat.

The company disclosed initial flight-test results at the Small Satellite Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, saying both its Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) and Monofilament Vaporization Propulsion (MVP) system have operated in orbit and reached Technology Readiness Level 8.

The 1.7U FPPT feeds polytetrafluoroethylene fibre from a spool and uses pulsed electrical discharges to accelerate the propellant. CU Aerospace lists total impulse above 29,000N·s and specific impulse above 3,500s for the flight system.

The 0.9U MVP is an electrothermal resistojet that feeds and vaporises solid Delrin polymer. It provides 265N·s of total impulse and about 63s specific impulse, targeting orbit changes, drag compensation, collision avoidance and deorbiting.

Both technologies avoid liquid or gaseous propellant, pressure vessels and propellant valves. CU Aerospace said thruster operations are continuing as the mission gathers additional in-orbit data.

The 6U Dual Propulsion Experiment spacecraft was deployed from the International Space Station on 2 December 2025 following launch aboard Northrop Grumman’s NG-23 cargo mission.