Sustainability: Iodine is a sustainable choice for green propellant in satellite missions because it can be efficiently recycled from industrial waste with minimal energy use, meeting pharmaceutical standards, reducing environmental impact and supporting closed-loop systems.
Strategic: The project aims to ensure Europe's self-reliance in space access and technology, supporting strategic autonomy, due to its fully European supply chain, ownership of essential patents, and independence from non-European technologies. This approach safeguards the investment, budget, and commitment of the participants.
Excellence: The project brings together leading European research institutions and experts to develop iodine thrusters, electride emitters, and space-grade components, along with advanced testing and diagnostics for this technology.
Economic: The rapid increase and unpredictability of xenon prices have created a need for alternative propellants in space missions. While krypton has been a common alternative, using iodine as a propel, it offers significant cost and volume advantages, providing a competitive edge for European space industries.
Performance: A unique iodine feeding system will be developed according to flight standards, focusing on design, verification, heat control and error handling. A test facility capable of testing iodine thrusters up to 5 kW will also be established, supporting further iodine electric propulsion (EP) development in Europe.
Stay tuned for more updates as we push the boundaries of space technology!