"Xantus" Metal Plasma Thruster (MPT) is a millinewton-class electric propulsion system that offers the highest total impulse in its size and several unique operational attributes due to the use of solid metal as a propellant, including a simple power and control unit, precise impulse bits, and modular design with a wide operational range.
Xantus is optimized for cubesats and microsats. The 5 kN∙s per ~1/2U package, can be combined with additional MPTs or chemical thrusters to increase capability and lifetime of the spacecraft.
Benchmark produces Xantus Metal Plasma Thruster under a license from the original developer Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation.
Xantus launched on the January 2024 USSF RROCI-2 EWS (Electro Optical Weather System) Demonstration Mission with Orion Space Solutions.
A previous Xantus unit launched in 2023 for the first EWS Mission, but did not deploy.
Learn about a novel MPT testing methodology developed by our team
