Early thruster prototype for satellites by Magdrive

Metal propellant thruster prototype developed by Magdrive. Called, 'So much for subtly'. After the company was founded, this prototype was developed in Summer 2022 to test a fully integrated system. Unlike the first prototype which needed external power, this model generated its own power in a fully self-contained system. This was an incremental step towards a fully formed product.

Magdrive's 'Rogue' thruster uses solid metal propellant as fuel. Rapid pulses of energy heat up the metal, turning it into a hot plasma which is then forced out using magnetic fields, generating thrust.

Metal is inert which means there are no combustable materials in the thruster, minimising risk. It also means there are no fuel pipes or tanks needed. Metal is also abundant in space, meaning that its could be possible to refuel spacecraft using space debris or even mining asteroids. The thrusters can react quickly in space, maneuvering spacecraft out of debris paths or to alter its orbit.