Posted on 25 August, 2026
As satellite constellations scale up, ThrustMe's electric propulsion systems are now used across 25+ constellations worldwide, spanning Europe, North America, and Asia. That scale is grounded in an increased industrial capacity and flight heritage: 500+ systems delivered, 242 launched, and more than 22,000 hours of in-orbit manoeuvres.
ThrustMe, the French Space company specialising in iodine-based electric propulsion, today announced that its systems now equip more than 25 satellite constellations globally, at SmallSat 2026, where the company is exhibiting.
The milestone reflects the scale ThrustMe has reached as a propulsion supplier: 242 propulsion systems launched to date across 85+ satellites, serving 50+ customers across the world for Earth observation, communications, and other applications across three continents.
“We are on the verge of the industrial space era. Our clients are done with technology demonstrations, and have now moved to the full-scale deployment of satellite constellations, flying dozens of satellites. For every one of them to perform reliablyin orbit, everyday, for years, they need to rely on efficient and dependable propulsion systems. Reaching 25 constellations is proof that they trust us with that responsibility, and that we can produce and deliver at industrial scale” said Ane Aanesland, CEO and founder of ThrustMe. “Not that long ago, electric propulsion was for sci-fi movies, and now it’s the technology backbone securing a sustainable future of the industrial space infrastructure”
As satellite constellations move from single missions to fleets numbering in the dozens or hundreds, propulsion has become one of the critical bottlenecks for operators, enabling station-keeping, collision avoidance, and formation flying at scale. ThrustMe's NPT30-I2 gridded ion thruster (Neptune line) and JPT150-I2 Hall-effect thruster (Jupiter line) are designed to meet this demand without the supply chain and safety constraints associated with legacy propellants such as xenon.
Volume matters as much as reliability at this scale: every kilogram spent on propulsion is a kilogram unavailable for the payload that generates a mission's revenue. At just 1.3 kg, roughly the weight of a laptop, the NPT30-I2 delivers years of manoeuvring capability while leaving satellite operators more mass budget for cameras, sensors, and communications equipment.
Founded in 2017 by Dr Ane Aanesland and Dr Dmytro Rafalskyi, ThrustMe pioneered iodine-fuelled electric propulsion in orbit and is now producing at industrial scale. Since opening its industrial production in 2023, the company has doubled production each year. Production has moved from one-off builds by the engineers developing the product to industrial cadence: ThrustMe now ships one propulsion system per day, on average, from its facility in Essonne (France), with over 500 units delivered to date. In-orbit performance data backs up that scale: ThrustMe's propulsion systems have logged more than 22,000 hours of in-orbit maneuvers, a metric that reflects operational use rather than time simply spent in orbit.
"We provide consistent thermal data and wildfire detections at a global scale. Reliable propulsion is what keeps our FOREST network in the right orbits to deliver that coverage, around the clock. ThrustMe has been a dependable partner as we scale our fleet, helping us to serve fire agencies and other institutions worldwide” said Ignacio Zuleta, Chief Technology and Product Officer at OroraTech.
"As India moves decisively toward constellation-scale missions, Dhruva Space is preparing for multiple upcoming programs for a gamut of customers, where reliability, repeatability, and flight heritage will be critical to mission success. We look forward to ThrustMe's flight-proven propulsion systems providing us with a reliable, proven building block as we scale our platforms and prepare to support the next generation of constellation missions." said Abhay Egoor, CTO & Co-Founder at Dhruva Space.
"Maritime surveillance only works if our satellites deliver consistent coverage over vast ocean areas, revisit after revisit, with no gaps our customers can't afford. ThrustMe's propulsion has been a dependable foundation as we build out that coverage." said Gaurav Seth, CEO & Founder, PierSight.
“At Astro Digital, we fly ThrustMe propulsion across a growing number of missions for our customers. Having a partner we can count on, consistently, is what lets us keep supporting the range of ambitious programs we work with.” said Chris Biddy, CEO & Co-Founder, Astro Digital.
ThrustMe is preparing the in-orbit demonstration of its next-generation JPT150-I2 Hall-effect thruster (JUPITER), planned for Q1 2027, the next milestone in the company's push to scale iodine propulsion across a broader range of satellite platforms.
About ThrustMe
ThrustMe is a French New Space company specializing in iodine-fueled electric propulsion systems for satellites. Its product line includes the NPT30-I2 gridded ion thruster (NEPTUNE) and the JPT150-I2 Hall-effect thruster (JUPITER), designed to give satellite operators reliable and sustainable propulsion capacities at scale. Based in the Essonne (Paris region), France, ThrustMe serves satellite integrators and operators across Europe, North America, and Asia. https://www.thrustme.com/
About OroraTech
OroraTech is the largest thermal satellite constellation in orbit. Their unique data provides timely and innovative data to firefighters, governments, climate scientists, and researchers worldwide. Founded in 2018, the company has quickly scaled to 19 satellites, with the goal to have 100 sensors in orbit in the next few years. OroraTech recently launched the Hellenic Fire System, a collaboration between the Greek government and the European Space Agency, that consists of four wildfire detection satellites aiding the Hellenic Fire Service. These sensors provide early warning fire detection, constant monitoring, and spread prediction services for all wildfires in the Greek archipelago. https://ororatech.com/
About Dhruva Space
Dhruva Space is a full-stack Space Engineering solutions provider based in Hyderabad, India, active across Space, Launch, and Ground segments and supports Civilian and Defense clients worldwide. Dhruva Space offers Satellite/s coupled with Earth Station/s and Launch Service/s as an integrated solution or individually as technology solutions to power Space-based applications on Earth and beyond. https://www.dhruvaspace.com/
About PierSight Space
PierSight builds application-specific Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems, that deliver persistent, all-weather, day-and-night intelligence for maritime, defence, and other domains. Its portfolio includes Varuna, a satellite constellation built for persistent maritime surveillance, and Vidura, a plug-and-play SAR payload that can be mounted on UAV platforms for foliage-penetrating surveillance. The company is also part of the consortium selected to build India's first Earth Observation constellation under the country's public-private partnership model. To date, PierSight has raised $8M from Alpha Wave Global, Elevation Capital, Techstars Space Accelerator, and others. https://piersight.space/
About Astro Digital
From concept to constellation, Astro Digital US, Inc. provides customers with complete satellite systems and mission support services for applications such as earth observation, communications, science, and technology demonstrations. The company, established in 2015 with offices in Colorado, California, and Australia, designs and manufactures spacecraft from 6U CubeSats to 400kg LEO/GEO MicroSats, and provides uninterrupted satellite operations from around the globe. For the latest updates and information, or to get in touch, visit www.astrodigital.com.