https://sputnikglobe.com/20260728/russian-scientists-unveil-space-engine-that-swaps-pricey-xenon-for-budget-friendly-krypton-1124508126.html
Russian Scientists Unveil Space Engine That Swaps Pricey Xenon for Budget-Friendly Krypton
Russian Scientists Unveil Space Engine That Swaps Pricey Xenon for Budget-Friendly Krypton
Sputnik International
The new plasma thruster will slash the cost of building massive satellite constellations.
2026-07-28T09:30+0000
2026-07-28T09:30+0000
2026-07-28T09:30+0000
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As constellations grow from dozens to thousands of satellites, driving down propellant costs by 80–90% could be the key to making such projects economically viable.
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science & tech, russia, moscow aviation institute, moscow institute of physics and technology, space
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Russian Scientists Unveil Space Engine That Swaps Pricey Xenon for Budget-Friendly Krypton
The new plasma thruster will slash the cost of building massive satellite constellations.
Specialists from the Moscow Aviation Institute and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology developed the engine
Krypton is 5–10x less expensive than xenon and available in much larger volumes
Designed for at least 7 years of service life in orbit, with 7,500+ hours of total thrust and multiple restart capability
The shift to krypton was driven by the need for affordable propulsion as Russia scales up multi‑satellite projects like the Sfera communication system
As constellations grow from dozens to thousands of satellites, driving down propellant costs by 80–90% could be the key to making such projects economically viable.
