Electric propulsion thrusters play a vital role in modern space missions. Unlike chemical rockets, which deliver short, high-thrust burns, electric thrusters use electric fields to accelerate mass to high speed, generating a low but sustained thrust that enables spacecraft to reach and maintain their desired orbits, shift orbit or de-orbit at end of life. The high exhaust velocity achieved via ion acceleration gives electric thrusters superior fuel efficiency, allowing a small inventory of gas propellant to last several years. As a result, electric thrusters are increasingly favored for long-duration missions such as orbital station-keeping and satellite repositioning.
All electric propulsion thrusters rely on gases such as xenon, krypton and argon as fuel. Collectively referred to as noble gases, xenon and krypton are also categorized as rare gases due to their relatively low abundance in the Earth's atmosphere (approx. 1 ppm for krypton and around 0.09 ppm for xenon compared with roughly 0.93% for argon).
As the leading global producer and supplier of argon, xenon and krypton, we play a key role in the rapidly expanding application spectrum for in-space propulsion. And we continue to build out our capacity in this area. Our new air separation facility at Brownsville, Texas, for example, will also produce argon for in-space propulsion thrusters. These and similar investments in our gas production and distribution infrastructure amplify our decades-long role at the heart of space development. Not only are we a leading provider of rare gases for in-space propulsion, we already support four out of five spacecraft launches in the US today.
In addition to supplying propellant-grade noble gases, we also provide specialized equipment to load rare gases into satellite propulsion systems. Click on the links below to discover more.
Discover why leading space players rely on us for flexible supplies of high-purity noble gases to power the ion drives on their electric propulsion systems
Automate your spacecraft fuel loading process - safely and efficiently - with our custom-developed, high-performance EPLS
Visit our space homepage to see how we are fueling the next frontier of space exploration.
Learn moreAs the space industry evolves from a government-dominated domain into a thriving commercial ecosystem, it needs a reliable supply of gases to power both rocket launches and in-space propulsion. We are supporting this dynamic ecosystem with ambitious new investments into our gas production and distribution infrastructure. Key initiatives include an expansion of our production capacity at Mims, Florida, and construction of a new air separation unit (ASU) at Brownsville, Texas, to supply bulk oxygen, nitrogen and argon for rocket launches and in-space propulsion. These moves strengthen our leadership in the rapidly expanding space industry.
One of our experts would be delighted to discuss how you can reduce mission costs with our gases and loading systems