Stellant targets 2027 qualification for 8cm ion thruster

(SpaceEnergy) US electric-propulsion supplier Stellant Systems plans to flight-qualify its low-power 8cm Xenon Ion Propulsion System in 2027 as it targets the growing small-satellite market.

Stellant disclosed the qualification timetable at the Small Satellite Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, where engineers presented a comparison of low-power gridded ion and Hall-effect thrusters.

The 8cm Xenon Ion Propulsion System (XIPS) is a gridded ion thruster using xenon propellant. Stellant argues that separating the ionisation and acceleration processes enables gridded ion systems to retain comparatively high specific impulse and efficiency as electric thrusters are scaled to lower power levels.

Stellant’s existing technical data give the 8cm XIPS an input-power range of 250–550W, thrust of 6–14mN and specific impulse of 1,500–3,000 seconds. The company lists approximately 50% thruster efficiency at 500W.

The company has extensive larger XIPS flight heritage, including more than 152 25cm ion thrusters in orbit. The newly disclosed 2027 qualification plan is intended to extend the product family toward lower-power small-satellite applications.