Bar mobility took the central stage of the space industry last year, and venture capitalists spread large amounts to new companies that develop technology for agile satellite operation. Therefore, one of the most recent transactions is that the electricity -promoting system for satellites will provide higher thrust as a smaller type factor than any other in the market, and it is no surprising that Magdrive, a UK -based start -up, is a UK -based start -up.
Spacecraft designers should consider many trade offs when purchasing or designing a propulsion system. Chemical -based systems have high thrust but are particularly impulsed or low efficiency, and electricity propulsion (EP) is very efficient but low thrust. Magdrive developed an EP system that uses solid metal propulsions to create high energy plasma using the same high -specific impulse as the chemical system, but the size of the thrust and the size of the mass were reduced.
In other words, the spacecraft operator can use electricity promotion for a completely new class without relying on heavy and expensive chemicals. “The company said,” The company said, “It will allow you to eat the electricity market for breakfast and to have lunch of chemistry.”
“The future of the space industry will be based on the fact that it can touch satellite,” he recently predicted in an interview with Techcrunch. In general, satellites are fired only with enough fuel to maintain the track during the mission life. However, more efficient propulsion is to unlock completely new functions, such as continuous roddes and close tasks for imaging or satellite service mission, avoidance manipulation to reduce the risk of track conflict, “probability movement” or maneuvering to create defense and intelligence satellites You can do it. It cannot be tracked.
The orbital mobility, sometimes known as “dynamic universe operation” by the defense leaders, has become a great interest for the Ministry of Defense. Magdrive was one of the six startups selected as the Hyperspace Challenge Accelerator of Space Force last year.
One of the biggest advantages of Magdrive’s technology is its scalability. Stoke says: The first product of the startup, the system called Rogue, and the larger black wizard can be placed in the grid to combine thrust or literally build a larger form. The company is developing “super magic”, the size of a dishwasher.
Since Stokes and CTO Thomas Clayson established the company in 2019, Magdrive has now swelled at least 20 teams and is preparing to demonstrate the first two all -in -one rogue trees in the track this June. Stokes raised a $ 1.8 million (1.4 million pound) seed round led by founder funds in 2020, and said, “We’ve raised about $ 10 million obesity subsidies to reach our current location, STOKES said. Furthermore, the company finished $ 15 million in funding, manufacturing the first commercial product that opened the first commercial product with continuous R & D, recruitment and US subsidiaries with offices in Los Angeles.
Stokes, founded in 2019 with physician Thomas Clayson, sees advanced promotion as a kind of infrastructure that enables continuous growth of the space industry for the next few years. The thieves and black wizards are designed to be reused using metals such as aluminum and copper, which can be found in space, which can be a differentiator for longer.
Stokes said, “We can use the materials in the space to use Mag Drive as a fuel as a propulsion, while everyone else in chemical and electricity must bring fuel from Earth every time in every range. “Every time I leave the station, it is like building a new train. You do not build a railway that way. ”
The new funding round was led by Swiss Fund Redalpine and came with the participation of Balerion, Founders Fund, Alumni Ventures, UNCSIZED VENTURES, 7 % and Entrepreneur. After the first track demonstration this summer, Magdrive aims to launch a black wizard system in 2026 and launch super magic in 2027.
“This is the core. All these new missions do not have to move as soon as possible and do not last as long as possible. … How many moving can you move? ” Stockers said. “What we bring is that the size of how much maneuver can be done in five years is greatly improved.”
