Viktor Kaplan - Str. 22700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria

www.enpulsion.com

02

Space is big - so big that it is hard to visualize. But we believe

that big spaces hold big opportunities. We also believe that

we can be a major driver in space flight by making propulsion

accessible for virtually everybody. The propulsion solutions

we provide are environmentally friendly, sustainable, and

scalable. To sum it up, our vision is of a clean and easy-to-re-

ach space environment near Earth and beyond.

The origins of ENPULSION‘s story are both in its founder’s vi-

sion of a more affordable space exploration and in the quest

to develop a superior propulsion technology. FOTEC, the re-

search arm of the University Of Applied Sciences (FH) in Wie-

ner Neustadt, started its research in this area more than 25

years ago in cooperation with the European Space Agency

(ESA). The outcome was the development of the Field Emis-

sion Electric Propulsion (FEEP) technology (see pages 2-3). In

2016 FOTEC decided to spin off the company AMR Propulsion

Innovations in order to produce and commercialize the tech-

nology for the global market. The company changed its name

to ENPULSION in 2017. In January 2018 the first satellite using

the company’s thrusters was launched in SSO orbit. In the

same year state-of-the-art laboratories and production faci-

lities were installed with the capacity of more than 20 thrus-

ters per month.

We are looking into the future with a lot of optimism. Our

team consists of professionals who believe in what we do,

and we are delivering innovative products of superb quality

to great customers. We are doing our best to support them at

all stages of the integration of our thrusters because our phi-

losophy is simple: our customer’s success is also our success!

ENPULSION’S STORY

A I M I N G F O R T H E S TA R S T I M E L I N E

0 1 . 0 1 . 1 9 8 9

At the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), the first Liquid Metal Ion Sources are developed, producing a precise beam of high-energy indium ions.

0 1 . 0 3 . 2 0 1 6

ENPULSION was founded (first under the name of AMR Propulsion Innovations) to commercialize the FEEP technology.

1 2 . 0 1 . 2 0 1 8

First satellite with IFM Nano Thruster is launched

1 5 . 0 7 . 2 0 1 9

Reaching a milestone:25 thrusters in space

1 3 . 0 3 . 1 9 9 1

More than 120 Liquid Metal Ion Sources (LMIS) operated in space for a total of more than 20.000 h.

0 9 . 1 0 . 2 0 1 7

The first IFM Nano Thruster is delivered to a commercial customer.

03

FEEP TECHNOLOGY

T H E B E S T I N P R O P U L S I O N

Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) produces thrust by ions and an applied electrostatic field. By

changing the field’s parameters, thrust and specific impulse can be varied as required in a specific mission

stage.

In a FEEP thruster, the metal propellant is liquified in orbit, and a strong electrostatic field extracts, ion-

izes and accelerates the propellant from the ion emitter. The extraction process requires high local field-

strength, which is achieved by using the field enhancing effect at the apex of sharp needles. When applying

the electric field to the liquified metal propellant, a so-called Taylor cone is formed on top of the emitter

needle, balancing the forces of electrostatic pull and surface tension of the propellant. Ion emission occurs

at the apex of this cone.

The electrostatic potential is applied between the metal emitter and a counter electrode (extractor) de-

signed to maximize transparency for emitted ions. In such a geometry, ions are then accelerated by the

same field used for extraction and ionization, making this process very efficient.

The ion emission is supplemented by electron emission from neutralizers (included in the IFM FEEP Thrust-

ers) to maintain charge stability of the spacecraft.

Emitted propellant is replaced in a fully passive manner by capillary forces. These forces maintain propel-

lant supply from the propellant reservoir up to the emitter tips, relying on surface tension of the propellant

itself. A FEEP thruster therefore does not require any external forces like pressurization or pumps.

Since propellant liquification is only done once in space and for ground vacuum testing, the FEEP system is

fully solid and inert during ground handling, integration, and launch.

04

ADVANTAGES OF FEEP TECHNOLOGY

The IFM Nano Thruster had its first suc-

cessful In-Orbit-Demonstration with in-

dependently confirmed orbit changes

in January 2018. Since then, it has been

successfully tested in orbit on multiple

customer spacecraft.

The IFM Technology is an entirely passive

system using no hazardous materials and

an unpressurized solid propellant during

all process stages. Thrusters are delivered

in a ready-to-fly state and are designed

for a simple and fast integration.

F L I G H T H E R I TA G E F A S T I N T E G R AT I O NA N D S I M P L E H A N D L I N G

The IFM FEEP technology was developed

under ESA contracts for > 15 years. 300+

emitters have been tested and an ongo-

ing lifetime test has demonstrated > 24

000 hours of firing without degradation of

emitter performance.

Thrust can be controlled through the

electrode voltages, providing excellent

controllability over the full thrust range

down to a precision of a few µN, as well as

low thrust noise.

M AT U R E T E C H N O L O G Y D Y N A M I C P R E C I S ET H R U S T C O N T R O L

Due to the efficient process in which up

to 60% of the evaporated indium atoms

can be ionized, IFM emitters can provide

a very high specific impulse and can accu-

rately control the Isp anywhere from

1,000 s to 6,000 s.

FEEP emission is an electrostatic process

from a Taylor cone with a ms response

time. IFM Thrusters can enter a hot-stand-

by mode where propellant stays liquified.

Response time is then only limited by

electronics control.

C O N T R O L L A B L E S P E C I F I CI M P U L S E U P T O 6 0 0 0 S

I N S TA N TA N E O U S T H R U S T

Even when active, no part of the thruster

is pressurized, and no chemical energy is

stored. This means that no explosive re-

action can harm the spacecraft system

and create additional debris in case of

collision.

IFM emitters use indium, a non-toxic,

non-reactive and non-radioactive metal

as propellant, with negligible evaporation

even in vacuum at high temperature.

D E B R I S S A F E T Y S A F E P R O P E L L A N T

IFM technology has no moving parts and

the propellant is in solid state during

launch. The lack of pressurized tanks and

gaseous, liquid and reactive propellants

avoids any risks of propellant contain-

ment during launch.

IFM Thruster modules can be used as

compact pre-qualified building block in

order to provide custom solutions at a

commodity price and ultra-short lead

times. A whole cluster can be operated as

a single plug-and-play unit.

N O P R O P E L L A N T C O N TA I N M E N TI S S U E S D U R I N G L A U N C H

C O M P A C TB U I L D I N G B L O C K S

05

IFM NANO THRUSTER

Af ter many year s of re s earch and de velopment , the FEEP te chnolog y was

tur ne d into a f ir s t commercial pro duc t as the IFM Nano Thr us ter.

With less than 1U in size, less than 1 kg

in mass, and only 40 W of power de-

mand, the IFM Nano Thruster fits in

even the smallest satellites but can be

easily bundled together as a module

for satellites with a higher thrust de-

mand.

A successful in-orbit demonstration in

early 2018 marked the world-first use

of a FEEP in space.

The IFM Nano Thruster has been cho-

sen as propulsion system by many

customers due to its very high specific

impulse, its compact design, and its

simplicity of integration – unmatched

by any other technology on the mar-

ket.

Its unique properties and its wide

range of operational performance

yield application possibilities like or-

bit maintenance and station-keeping,

orbit changes and transit manoeuvres,

pointing and attitude maintenance,

end-of-life disposal, formation deploy-

ment, and the like.

10 – 400 μN

350 μN

2,000 – 6,000 S

230 G (INDIUM)

MORE THAN 5,000 NS

40 W INCL. NEUTRALIZER

100.0 X 100.0 X 82.5 MM

670 G (DRY) / 900 G (WET)

8 – 40 W

INCL. PPU

DYNAMIC THRUST RANGE:

NOMINAL THRUST:

SPECIFIC IMPULSE:

PROPELLANT MASS:

TOTAL IMPULSE:

TOTAL INPUT POWER:

OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS:

SUBSYSTEM MASS:

TOTAL SYSTEM POWER:

A F L I G H T- P R O V E N V E R S AT I L E S O L U T I O N F O R Y O U R L O W - P O W E R A P P L I C AT I O N S

06

0.08 - 1.5 mN

1.5 mN

1,000 - 5,000 S

1300 G (INDIUM)

MORE THAN 50 KNS

100 W INCL. NEUTRALIZER

120.0 X 140.0 X 98.0 MM

1.9 KG (DRY) / 3.2 KG (WET)

30 – 100 W

EXCL. PPU

DYNAMIC THRUST RANGE:

NOMINAL THRUST:

SPECIFIC IMPULSE:

PROPELLANT MASS:

TOTAL IMPULSE:

TOTAL INPUT POWER:

OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS:

SUBSYSTEM MASS:

TOTAL SYSTEM POWER:

IFM MICRO 100 THRUSTER

With an input power of 100 W it pro-

duces up to 1.5 mN of thrust and pro-

vides 50 kNs of total impulse, which

makes it particularly adapted to small

and medium size spacecraft.

It can be launched on any rocket or

even deployed from the ISS as it con-

tains no pressure vessels or energetic

chemical. The thruster and propellant

are all contained in a 14x12x10 cm

module bolted directly to any flat pan-

el. No accomodation for a separate

tank or fluid piping is required.

The IFM Micro 100 is inherently redun-

dant with more than a 100 parallel ion

emission sites and 4 cold redundant

neutralizers.

Its high specific impulse and the unri-

valed control precision are perfect for

station keeping and attitude control.

End-of-life operations can be per-

formed at the most optimal operation

point depending on remaining propel-

lant quantities.

The IFM Micro 10 0 Thr us ter builds on the f l ight her it age of the IFM Nano

Thr us ter to me et the re quirement s of more demanding mis sions .

N E E D M O R E T H R U S T F O R C H A L L E N G I N G M I S S I O N S ? I F M M I C R O P R O V I D E S T H E A N S W E R

07

WHY US?

has successfully brought its first product to market

holds a worldwide exclusive perpetual license to commercialize 30 years of know-how and IPs related to the electric propulsion technology.

has implemented a lean manufacturing process, designed for high

rate production, all the while meeting the demands of space product

assurance standards.

has 25 thrusters already flying in orbit and another 58 delivered to

customers, waiting to be launched.

has managed to assemble a unique team of highly qualified aerospace

engineers, technicians and business professionals.

*figures as of July 2019.

W I T H I N 1 8 M O N T H S *, E N P U L S I O N

08

Our ISO-class-6 clean room provides optimal conditions for the assembly and integration of our

products. Each workstation is ergonomically optimized and can easily be configured for a new

product to support flexibility and efficiency.

All our products pass several steps during acceptance testing. These include thermal, vibration and

final performance test, which verifies the thruster’s function and measures its key characteristics.

Several units can be included in a single test run in order to increase the possible throughput.

We are continuously improving our processes and products, identifying opportunities for stream-

lining work and assuring product quality. For instance, high precision 3D maps of our emitters are

created at an early step in manufacturing in order to predict their later performance.

A S S E M B L Y & I N T E G R AT I O N

A C C E P TA N C E T E S T I N G

C O N T I N U O U S I M P R O V E M E N T

LEAN MANUFACTURING IN THESPACE INDUSTRYE N P U L S I O N I S L E A D I N G I N D U S T R I A L I N N O V AT I O N

�����

��������������������������

����������� ���

������������

�����������������������

�������������� �������� ����

�

�

� �

�

�

����

���������� ������� �

���� ������������

����

������������ �������������

�� ����� ��� ��� ����

����������

�������� ����������

������������������� ��

������� ������

09

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Y O U R S P A C E C R A F T D E S E R V E S T H E B E S T

Our commitment to quality is absolute and unconditional. Every component goes through a rigorous in-

coming inspection when it arrives at our production facility. Step-by-step process and final inspections

ensure that the quality level is maintained throughout the production chain and allow for early detection

of non-compliant parts. In the case of the ion emitters, their performance is characterized before they are

assigned to a thruster. Performance data is then used to improve numerical models.

Customization* of the mechanical interface and several possible PPU configurations are available in our

modular design. We are taking into consideration what fits best your electrical system without compromis-

ing its quality. The plug-and-play design makes it easier to scale up your propulsion system without having

to consider additional propellant mass, plumbing and storage.

Following a standard practice in the aerospace industry, our final assembly line and testing facilities are

located fully inside an ISO-certified clean room. Leveraging the fact that our thrusters are inert and not

pressurized during acceptance testing, integration, and launch, we are able to perform acceptance-tests in

a very economic and highly scalable manner. Therefore even at high production rates, each thruster is the

subject to environmental acceptance testing, i.e. thermal and vibration testing, according to your customi-

zed mission and launch profiles. A last functional tests the performances of the ion emitter.

*Customized designs must be approved by Enpulsion GmbH. Enpulsion GmbH reserves the right to decline any modification to the

thruster design for technical, financial or other reasons.

�

�

�������������������

������������������������������������ �������������������������������������������������������������

�

��

�

�

��

������������������

�������������� ���������������������������������� ���

������������������������

�������������������� �����������������

�������������� ���������

�������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������

������������

��������������������������������������������������������������

��������������������������

�������������������� ����������� ����������������������������

����������������

�������������������� ���������� ������������������������������������������������

�������������������� ������������������������������� ��������������

������������������

��������

�� �������������������������������������������������

I N F O C U S

M Y R O A D T O E N P U L S I O N

OUR TEAM

Dr. Lou GrimaudPRODUCT MANAGER IFM MICRO

Year of birth: 1990 Nationality: French Joined: Fall 2018

Describe your typical day at the company

My typical day can be pretty varied. I can be developing new designs, writing qualification docu-

mentation and talking with suppliers in the morning but also supporting our production team,

doing hardware testing and working with clients on their requirements in the afternoon.

Why did you decide to join ENPULSION?

As I was completing my PhD in electric propulsion I had the chance to talk with a lot of the diffe-

rent propulsion companies and startups. What attracted me to ENPULSION was the fact that the

company had a deep technical knowledge of the mature and flight-proven FEEP technology and of

the corresponding market. As early as 2017 ENPULSION already had a finished product, not just a

laboratory technology demonstrator. This put them several steps ahead of the competition. Their

concern was not just making something that works but how to produce several thrusters a week.

This represents an unprecedented manufacturing volume in space propulsion! Another important

reason to choose ENPULSION was that it is a fast-paced environment where the time between first

customer contact and in orbit commissioning is counted in months or even weeks, not in years.

Dr. David KrejciCTO

„At MIT I was researching microchip sized

propulsion technologies but I felt ready for

the challenge of commercial space. I was

excited to join ENPULSION and work on the

FEEP thruster with a great team.“

Nick SteinhauserPRODUCTION ENGINEER

“Joining ENPULSION after finishing my

studies gave me the chance to work in an

amazing and continuously developing in-

dustry. It was a once-in-a-lifetime oppor-

tunity and I could not let it slip.”

Dr. Tony SchönherrPRODUCT MANAGER IFM NANO

„Working at ESA provided me with a broad

experience to succeed in the space market.

ENPULSION allows me to apply this know-

ledge to a real product, and to grow with

the company during the process.“

Average age: 30 years 9 months

Some companies in which our team members have worked: Ariane, ArianeGroup, BMW, ESA, FOTEC,Fraunhofer, ICARE-CNRS, Knorr Bremse, MIT, NRC, Philips, RUAG, University of Tokyo

Our team consis t s of 2 5 p e ople who come f rom dif ferent countr ie s , sp eak dif ferent lan -

guage s and have diver s e e xp er ience s in many f ie lds . What unite s us is our big pas sion for

space e xplor at ion, our natur al cur iosit y, and our que s t for p er fe c t ion.

11

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TRAINING

W E W I L L H E L P Y O U G E T T H E B E S T F R O M O U R P R O P U L S I O N S Y S T E M S

As it is sometimes the case, one of our customers needed a quick propulsion solution. As ENPULSION’s

products are plug-and-play and can be delivered and installed on a short notice, the customer had the

opportunity to integrate a propulsion system into their spacecraft in the last minute. Integration was very

simple because issues like pressure, toxic materials, etc, were not present.

While the satellite was

prepared for launch, EN-

PULSION worked with the

customer to improve the

maneuvering capabilities of

their satellite. We provided

the engineering modules to

test and optimize commu-

nication.

During a workshop on our

premises in Wiener Neu-

stadt we gave the custom-

er’s specialists the opportunity to operate a real thruster in a vacuum environment using ENPULSION’s

control software. We also coupled the thruster with an engineering module of their onboard computer so

they could test all their software scripts with a real thruster under real conditions.

As a result, the custom-

er could fully commis-

sion their satellite and

ensured that all their

thrusters were working

properly.

12

7. 3 G/CM³

0 BAR

NONE

NONE

$$

~ 10 0 0 TONS/ YE AR

SOLID

I N D I U M I O D I N E X E N O N K R Y P T O N

IFM MICRO 14 x 1 2 x 10 CM

4.9 G/CM³

< 1 BAR

0.1 PPM PER 8H

VARYING

$$

UNLIMITED

1.6 G/CM³

> 10 0 BAR

NONE

PRESSURE VESSEL

$$$$

~ 10 TONS/ YE AR

SUPERCRITIC AL FLUID

0.6 G/CM³

> 10 0 BAR

NONE

PRESURE VESSEL

$$

~10 0 TONS/ YE AR

PH A S E

D ENS IT Y (IN F L I G H T TA NK )

PR E S SUR E

TOX I CIT Y *

LAUNCH WAIVER REQUIREMENTS

PR I CE

AVA IL A B IL IT Y

S I Z E C O M P A R I S O N F U E L TA N K S

ADVANTAGES OF INDIUM AS A PROPELLANT

Indium (N 49 in the p er io dic t able), is us e d as prop ellant in our thr us ter s .

I t is a ver y s of t , lus trous white met al which was dis covere d by Ferdinand

Reich in 18 6 3 . I t s name come s f rom the L at in “indicium” (v iolet).

Indium has several important advantages as a propellant:

• It is compact due to its higher density – The graph above presents a comparison of tank sizes between

the IFM Micro Thruster and a Hall-Effect thruster (operating at 1200 s Isp @ 100 w) of same total impulse using

different propellants.

• Thrusters are shipped full – Propulsion systems using other propellants usually have to be shipped empty

and filled at the launch facility, introducing additional expenses and procedures.

• It is safe – Indium is non-toxic and easier to handle than other propellants. It is stored unpressurized and,

unlike high pressure tanks, it does not need special authorizations (launch waivers) to be launched as se-

condary payloads.

• It is readily available – Indium is currently a by-product of zinc refining and benefits from industrial scale

production. Since peaking at $700/kg in 2007 indium prices have stayed below $400/kg.

* According to OSHA

13

D R . A L E X A N D E R R E I S S N E R - C E O & F O U N D E R

Alexander Reissner

The rapid developments of space infrastructure that we see today are just the beginning

of a thriving near-earth economy. At the core of it lies the need for effective in-space mo-

bility. This is what we do at ENPULSION every day, providing dozens of customers with

the mobility that they need, when they need it.

But ENPULSION is much more than just a supplier of high-performance propulsion solu-

tions. In the dynamic environment of the space industry, NewSpace agility and Heritage

Space experience are converging to a new norm of how we build space-based assets.

And ENPULSION is already there. We maintain the highest levels of product reliability,

while offering fast, flexible and affordable solutions. We have an agile, inclusive, and fun

workplace, while implementing the highest quality standards.

I believe that in a time where we are building the infrastructure to connect all global

citizens to the world economy, this new approach of manufacturing at ENPULSION - and

in the space industry as a whole - will act as an enabler for everyone who thrives to use

space in a responsible way for the good of humankind here on earth and beyond.

At ENPULSION, NewSpace agility and Heritage Space experience are converging to a new norm of how to build spacecraft techno-logies.

Viktor Kaplan - Str. 22700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria

www.enpulsion.com