Exotrail Electric Propulsion Systems Selected by Korean Satellite Manufacturer Satrec Initiative

Insider Brief:

• Exotrail unveils a new contract with the satellite manufacturer Satrec Initiative, to embark a spaceware™ electric propulsion system for a Korean governmental mission.
• Within a year, Exotrail will deliver a spaceware™ – micro XL propulsion system engineering model, as well as a flight model for a proof-of-concept mission for an innovative earth observation service aiming to validate the use of Satrec Initiative’s Earth observation platform in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
• spaceware™ drastically improves satellite deployment, increases service performance, and contributes to the reduction of space pollution.

PRESS RELEASE — April 26, 2023 — Today, Exotrail unveils a new contract with the satellite manufacturer Satrec Initiative, to embark a spaceware™ electric propulsion system for a Korean governmental mission.

Satrec Initiative is a Korea based world-leading Earth observation solution provider. They have selected Exotrail’s spaceware™ product to meet the space mobility needs of an Earth observation satellite which will be used for a Korean governmental R&D mission.

Within a year, Exotrail will deliver a spaceware™ – micro XL propulsion system engineering model, as well as a flight model for a proof-of-concept mission for an innovative earth observation service aiming to validate the use of Satrec Initiative’s Earth observation platform in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The LEO mission will allow Satrec Initiative to significantly increase the performance of its Earth observation service; a breakthrough in Earth observation made possible by Satrec Initiative’s cutting edge satellite platform design paired with Exotrail’s unparalleled high thrust spaceware™ propulsion system.

spaceware™, and its nano, micro, mini and cluster product configurations, is Exotrail’s space-proven Hall-Effect electric propulsion system for satellites ranging from 10 to 1,000 kg. spaceware™ – micro is a 150W propulsion system delivering more than 7mN of thrust for missions up to 60kNs and more. It provides an unrivalled trade-off between thrust compared to mass and volume efficiency.

Thanks to its high level of thrust and modularity, spaceware™ drastically improves satellite deployment, increases service performance, and contributes to the reduction of space pollution.

The inking of this contract by a French company and a Korean company, both in strong leadership positions in their respective markets, is announced at the occasion of the visit of Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications, and in attendance of Mr. Cho Joo Hyun, Korean Vice-Minister of SMEs and startups.

This first commercial contract of Exotrail in South-Korea proves the relevance of its propulsion system product portfolio for both small satellite constellations, and the dynamic Asian market.

On this occasion, Satrec Initiative’s CEO Ee-Eul Kim expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating:

“We are thrilled to be working with Exotrail for our upcoming LEO mission. This partnership will enable us to deliver breakthrough Earth observation services with increased performance, while contributing to the reduction of space pollution.”

Exotrail’s CEO and cofounder Jean-Luc Maria, added:

“We are extremely thankful to Satrec Initiative for this mark of confidence, emphasizing the fact that our spaceware™ product is a true asset for the constellation market, notably for Earth observation satellites. Additionally, we are proud to sign this contract fueling a positive dynamic between France and South-Korea, one of the leading space nations in Asia.”