The first prototype of a new, ultra-compact motor will allow small satellites to journey beyond Earth’s orbit. The goal of the micro motor: to drastically reduce the cost of space exploration.
The motor, designed to be mounted on satellites as small as 10x10x10 cm3, is extremely compact. The prototype weighs only about 200 grams, including the fuel and control electronics.
“At the moment, nanosatellites are stuck in their orbits. Our goal is to set them free,” explains Herbert Shea, coordinator of the European MicroThrust project and director of EPFL’s Microsystems for Space Technologies Laboratory.
Also: See which NASA research center will place a large number of nanosats in low Earth orbit.
