Ienai Space Secures €3.9 Million for Electrospray Thruster Demonstration

Spanish small satellite propulsion developer Ienai Space has raised 3.9 million euros ($4.2 million) to start demonstrating its electrospray thrusters in low Earth orbit by the end of this year.

The five-year-old startup announced that this latest funding round brings its total raised to approximately seven million euros. These funds are earmarked for the development of ATHENA, or Adaptable THruster based on Electrospray for NAnosatellite, a modular propulsion system designed to fit within half the size of a standard 10-centimeter cubesat.

ATHENA is engineered for satellites weighing between three and 50 kilograms. It uses electricity to disperse liquid salts, achieving a specific impulse — a measure of thrust efficiency — of 1600-2000 seconds.

"This funding came after passing a European Space Agency preliminary design review that included firing the thruster for nearly 400 hours," - Daniel Grande, CEO and Co-Founder of Ienai Space

Ienai has garnered substantial market interest, with requested quotes totaling about 30 million euros, predominantly from the Earth observation sector.

Ienai Space joins a competitive field of electrospray satellite propulsion developers, which includes Boston-based Accion Systems, acquired by New York venture capital firm Tracker Capital in 2021, and Ion-X of France.

Early Flight Demonstrations

Ienai Space plans to commence commercial delivery of its thrusters next year, contingent on the success of upcoming in-orbit demonstrations. The first ATHENA demonstrator will be integrated into a spacecraft from Dutch cubesat manufacturer ISIS Space (Innovative Solutions In Space), which will be launched aboard the second flight of Europe’s next-generation Ariane 6 rocket, tentatively scheduled for late 2024.

In addition, a separate ATHENA demonstrator is slated to fly in early 2025 on a spacecraft from Bulgaria’s Endurosat. This mission, set to be part of the second flight of German rocket developer Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum vehicle, will also involve a collaboration with Portuguese space traffic management provider Neuraspace to demonstrate a collision avoidance system.

The European Space Agency and its partners have recently confirmed a July 9 launch date for the maiden flight of Ariane 6, while Isar Aerospace aims to complete its first Spectrum mission by the end of 2024.

In the interim, Ienai Space is preparing to launch a mission analysis software tool for satellite designers, intended to generate early revenues. Additionally, the company plans to utilize the new funds to expand its team from 22 to 30 employees across facilities in Spain and Sweden by the end of the year.

Spanish early-stage investor GED Capital led the latest seed round, with significant support from CETI, a publicly backed Spanish investor that matches private investments.

As Ienai Space progresses with its innovative propulsion solutions, the company is poised to play a pivotal role in the growing small satellite market, providing efficient and adaptable propulsion systems to meet diverse mission requirements.