Spacecraft maker Portal books Falcon 9 for solar thermal propulsion debut

(SpaceEnergy) US spacecraft maker Portal Space Systems has booked a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch for the 2028 in-space debut of its proprietary FLARE solar thermal propulsion system.

The Bothell, Washington-based company said the Motus Via Sol mission will carry its first Supernova spacecraft, which uses FLARE to provide rapid manoeuvring between orbital regimes.

Portal said it has partnered exclusively with launch integrator Maverick Space Systems, which will optimise the payload stack and market surplus capacity on the Falcon 9 to commercial rideshare customers.

The company said Supernova and its smaller Starburst spacecraft can manoeuvre rapidly after deployment, reducing dependence on the launch vehicle’s initial drop-off orbit and allowing missions to reach different operational destinations.

Portal previously demonstrated FLARE at operational performance in thermal-vacuum conditions. The company said Starburst-1 is separately manifested on SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission in October 2026.

FLARE uses solar thermal propulsion, in which concentrated solar energy heats propellant before it is expelled to generate thrust.