• 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.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, AUG 25, 2026: Satellite constellations are getting larger and more numerous, with a growing number reaching full deployment. Operators now fly fleets that number in the dozens, sometimes hundreds, and propulsion has quietly become one of the hardest problems to solve at that scale. Without reliable, compact thrusters, constellations can’t maintain formation, avoid collisions, or manage their own deorbit, and few propulsion suppliers have shown they can deliver at volume.

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 reliably in 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.”

“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.”

Propulsion at industrial scale

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: ThrustMe now ships one propulsion system per day, on average, from its facility in Essonne, France, with over 500 units delivered to date. Its systems have logged more than 22,000 hours of in-orbit manoeuvres, a metric that reflects operational use rather than time simply spent in orbit.

Trusted by operators worldwide

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”