Astra Ships First Multi-Thruster Satellite Engine Flight Set
12/20/2022
Astra shipped its first multi-string satellite engine flight set, providing customers with multiple high-efficiency thrusters for dramatically increased speed and maneuverability.
This past Friday, Astra shipped its first multi-string Astra Spacecraft Engine™ flight set, which will provide our customer’s spacecraft with multiple high-efficiency thrusters, dramatically increasing their speed and maneuverability on orbit. As more and more spacecraft reach orbit, on-orbit mobility is playing an ever-growing role in achieving mission success, whether that’s through station-keeping, orbit-raising, collision avoidance, or responsible end-of-life operations.
“For customers who require more thrust and advanced on-orbit mobility, and still want the flight heritage of the Astra Spacecraft Engine™, multi-string configurations present an increasingly attractive option,” said Ian Murray, Senior Mission Manager at Astra.
Multi-thruster Astra Spacecraft Engine™ electric propulsion systems increase the thrust and total impulse available to a spacecraft, unlocking the potential for more energy-intensive orbital maneuvers and providing a major boost to the spacecraft’s overall on-orbit mobility.
“We’re excited to get this first multi-string system out the door. It is an incredibly important milestone for the team. We learned a bunch in the process, focused on quality, and demonstrated our ability to scale. We’re better prepared than ever before to design and deliver multi-string propulsion systems that meet our customers’ ever-growing needs for advanced on-orbit mobility,” said Zohaib Mian, Chief Engineer of Space Products at Astra.
Astra’s customers can select the number of thrusters and the size of the tank required to meet their mission needs – allowing the Astra Spacecraft Engine™ to serve a broad range of customer applications, mission profiles, and satellite masses. (Left) See performance specs for a standard four-thruster Astra Spacecraft Engine™ electric propulsion system using xenon propellant.
Visit astra.com/space-products/astra-spacecraft-engine/ to learn more about the Astra Spacecraft Engine™ and how it can be configured for your next mission.
