Morpheus Space Expands Electric Propulsion Production with New Dresden Factory

Morpheus Space is ramping up its production of electric propulsion systems at its new 1,260-square-meter factory in Dresden, Germany. Initially, the facility will produce 100 GO-2 Field Emission Electric Propulsion-based propulsion systems annually, with the potential to scale up to 500 units per year with additional personnel and equipment.

The decision to expand production was driven by feedback from current and prospective customers who expressed frustration over long waiting times for propulsion deliveries.

"Nobody has the time to wait a year for any subsystem...And propulsion is one of the few subsystems that typically are not produced in-house because it’s quite complex." - Daniel Bock, Morpheus CEO

The in-space propulsion sector is experiencing significant changes due to the increasing demand from both commercial and military satellite constellations.

"The supply chain didn’t keep up with the growth of the satellite and mission trajectory...We hope that we can contribute to solving that issue." - Daniel Bock, Morpheus CEO

Mass Production Challenges

Scaling up production is a well-known challenge in the propulsion manufacturing industry. Morpheus, which previously produced just over a dozen propulsion systems a year, now aims to increase that number significantly.

"If you want to produce higher numbers, you need to follow a different approach,...You need to establish clear processes and reduce the manual work as much as possible." - Daniel Bock, Morpheus CEO

To navigate this transition, Morpheus has enlisted the expertise of Chief Operating Officer Martin Kelterer, who has a background in heading production engines at Mercedes-Benz. Kelterer's experience is expected to be invaluable as Morpheus refines its production processes.

Future Prospects

The GO-2 propulsion system, which is slated for flight testing in 2025, is designed to cater to a wide range of satellite sizes, from six-unit cubesats to 250-kilogram satellites. For larger satellites, exceeding 250 kilograms, the GO-2 could serve as a secondary propulsion option.

"GO-2 might be an interesting option for secondary propulsion," - Daniel Bock, Morpheus CEO

As Morpheus Space moves forward with its production expansion, the company aims to address the bottlenecks in the supply chain and meet the growing demands of the space industry. With the new Dresden factory, Morpheus is well-positioned to enhance its production capabilities and contribute significantly to the advancement of in-space propulsion technology.