Startup Unveils Breakthrough Satellite Thruster Using Naphthalene

A startup named Orbital Arc has announced a revolutionary spacecraft thruster that promises to be up to 40 percent more power efficient than existing technologies. This new thruster not only costs less than a thousandth of traditional fuels but also weighs significantly less, making it a game-changer for satellite operators and mission planners aiming for interplanetary exploration.

According to Jonathan Huffman, the founder of Orbital Arc, the design minimizes size without sacrificing performance. “We can go from a thruster that’s a few inches across and several kilograms to a thruster on a chip that’s about an inch across and has the same thrust output, but weighs about an eighth as much,” he explained. The company claims that this compact thruster could fit on the smallest low-Earth orbit satellites while providing enough power for ambitious missions beyond our planet.

Innovative Design and Propulsion Mechanism

The technology behind this new thruster diverges from traditional methods. Current thrusters, such as Hall thrusters, rely on creating and expelling plasma to generate thrust. Orbital Arc’s approach utilizes naphthalene, a common compound found in mothballs, combined with MEMS microfabrication techniques. Huffman, who has a background in biotech consulting, drew inspiration from his hobby of designing fictional technologies for video games. This unique perspective allowed him to identify limitations in existing ion thrusters that could be overcome.

Each thruster features millions of nanometer-sized, positively charged tips embedded in a chip. When naphthalene flows through these tips, its molecules become polarized, allowing ions to be generated efficiently. “The repelled ions fly by and spray out into space, propelling the spacecraft forward,” Huffman stated. This method eliminates the energy losses associated with traditional plasma methods, potentially leading to a 30 to 40 percent improvement in energy efficiency.

Testing conducted by Orbital Arc demonstrated that just six of their tips could generate about three times more ion current than a conventional array of 320,000 tips from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This efficiency is a crucial factor for both cost and performance in satellite operations.

Prospects and Challenges Ahead

As it stands, the thruster is still in the prototype phase, with initial chips containing only six tips fabricated in a cleanroom at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The next step involves scaling the design for full production, which Huffman describes as straightforward. “It’s a valve, it’s a few wires, it’s a few structural components. Very, very straightforward,” he noted.

The anticipated launch of this technology could attract interest from small teams and research groups eager to leverage the potential cost savings and efficiency. Naphthalene presents a compelling alternative to more expensive fuels like xenon, which can cost around US $3,000 per kilogram compared to naphthalene’s $1.50 per kilogram price.

Despite the excitement surrounding Orbital Arc’s innovation, experts express caution. Jonathan MacArthur, a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University, urges the startup to provide more data to substantiate their claims, particularly regarding safety and performance. He highlighted the necessity for customers to have reliable data when selecting propulsion systems, indicating that many might hesitate to adopt unproven technology.

The potential for Orbital Arc’s thrusters extends beyond small missions. Huffman envisions a future where these thrusters could enable more ambitious projects, including human-rated missions to distant destinations like Jupiter. By reducing the mass of spacecraft components, such as solar panels and fuel tanks, the company aims to transform the landscape of space exploration.

In summary, Orbital Arc’s innovative thruster design represents a significant advancement in satellite propulsion technology. As the company prepares for further testing and development, it could open new doors for affordable and efficient missions in the vast expanse of outer space.