Multiple satellite and mission operators that need to go fast, station keep, and make precision maneuvers in space, are evaluating Benchmark’s hybrid duo of Xantus EP thrusters and Halcyon non-toxic chemical propulsion systems, which unlock expanded dynamic operations for 12U to ~200kg spacecraft that are often limited by a single technology, compromising mission capability and value.
“The Benchmark team is thrilled that our Xantus electric propulsion system and metal plasma thrusters are supporting this important mission for Orion Space and the US Government,” said Chris Carella, Chief Commercial Officer for Benchmark Space Systems. “Our government and commercial mission partners around the world have closely followed this historic first, as our Xantus metal plasma thrusters demonstrate their capabilities in space. Our partners have been preparing for space with our software and engineering development units (SDUs/EDUs), and they’re excited to soon be receiving shipments of flight units to close on their own missions in the months ahead.”
“Our Xantus MPTs are designed to provide optimal station keeping for most cubesats, microsats in the range of 5 to 250 kilograms, and precision operations for ESPA-class satellites from 250 to 1000 kilograms. That’s a wide sweet spot, and we look forward to enabling dozens of upcoming missions to fly using what promises to be an extremely valuable electric propulsion tool in LEO, MEO, and GEO,” explained Kent Frankovich, Benchmark’s Vice President of Electric Propulsion, who is leading the company’s metal plasma thruster development.
The milestone debut of Benchmark’s electric propulsion system in space comes less than eighteen months after the company acquired the metal plasma thruster technology from Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation and follows a previous mission launch in January 2023 that did not deploy.
The Xantus electric propulsion system, with its innovative MPTs, is one key element of Benchmark’s full in-space mobility strategy and market-leading lineup of propulsion systems and solutions. The company offers electric, green chemical, and hybrid platforms designed to provide speed, endurance, precision maneuvering, and deorbit capabilities to meet the fast-growing demand for dynamic and sustainable space operations across multiple orbits and mission profiles.
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Paul Sims
For Benchmark Space Systems
paul@simscomm.com
About Benchmark Space Systems
Benchmark Space Systems is a full life cycle in-space mobility provider, delivering products and partnerships from mission planning through decommission. Founded in 2017 to develop green propulsion technologies and flexible product configurations to market, the team’s rapid growth and focus on the development and sustainability of a democratized space domain has resulted in a product lineup of turn-key propulsion systems for 3U cubesat through ESPA and OTV class spacecraft in LEO, GEO, and beyond. Benchmark’s patented and proprietary innovations focus on eliminating customer pain-points and increasing asset value for unparalleled ROI. To explore how Benchmark can help improve your mission, from rapid orbit insertion to advanced RPO (Rendezvous and Proximity Operations), visit:
Website: www.BenchmarkSpaceSystems.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/benchmark-space-systems/