T4i and Spacety Luxembourg have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set the framework for several intended collaborations regarding Electric Propulsion and flight opportunities.
T4i (Technology for Propulsion and Innovation) is an Italian rocket company, specialized in innovative in-space and access-to-space propulsion systems, tailored for small and micro satellites, offering an array of diverse technologies matching the mission’s requirements of satellite operators. T4i conducted an extensive research on several propulsion systems and different propellants. Among them, T4i scientific research along the iodine propellant as ground-breaking source of energy in space, opens certain interesting outcomes in response to the new constellation market demand.
Spacety Luxembourg is a commercial space company in designing, manufacturing, launching, operating satellites, and providing space flight services to its clients worldwide to flight test or demonstrate their technologies or science in space. Spacety has built and launched its first SAR satellite, the world’s first miniaturized C-band SAR satellite with a phased-array antenna, and plans to build, deploy, and operate a mega SAR constellation with 300+ satellites to provide near real time SAR data services to the world.
Several are the common fields of interests of the two companies. T4i is developing plasma thrusters in different sizes to accommodate the entire spectrum of small satellites, while Spacety Luxembourg is both offering flight opportunities for T4i IOD missions and looking for innovative, robust, and reliable iodine-based electric propulsion systems for their SAR constellation.
“Propulsion is an important subsystem of satellites for constellation. As more constellations are deployed for EO and telecommunications, the market for electric thrusters will expand rapidly. However, an electric thruster is a complicated system and it needs to be tested and verified in space before being used for any operational satellite mission. T4i has developed advanced propulsion technologies for small and micro satellites. Spacety has frequent flight opportunities and extensive experience of technology IOD/IOV missions. The collaboration of the two companies will produce innovative space products, which will be needed by many satellites, including Spacety’s.” said James Zheng, CEO of Spacety Luxembourg.
In addition, this agreement formalizes the mutual interest in collaborating for future space missions and the possibility for T4i to capture the growing demand arising in the Chinese constellations market through this partnership with Spacety.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to cooperate with such a trustful partner as Spacety and eager to expand T4i’s market reach” said Daniele Pavarin, T4i co-founder and CEO.
About T4i
Technology for Propulsion and Innovation (T4i) was born in 2014, as a Spin-Off of the University of Padua. T4i’s aim is to revolutionize the in-space and access to space transportation, developing innovative engines able to open unexplored forms of mobility to small satellite platforms and unlimited windows to access space. T4i develops both customized propulsion solutions based on customer’s requirements and complete space products up to TRL9, focusing on electrical, chemical, and cold gas propulsion systems to cover different in-space applications (e.g., proximity maneuvers, orbit raising, decommissioning, station keeping, and relative satellite position maintenance) and chemical propulsion systems for launchers applications. T4i’s first product, REGULUS, was launched in space for its IOD mission on March 22, 2021.
About Spacety Luxembourg
Spacety Co., Ltd. is a fast-growing global NewSpace company with its headquarters in China. It has its international headquarters, Spacety Luxembourg S.A., in Luxembourg. Spacety is one of the world leaders providing innovative small satellite-based solutions and services to the world. Since founded in 2016, It has developed, launched, and operates 21 satellites for science, technology demonstration, and Earth observation. As a leading provider of satellite-based services, it provides fast, frequent, flexible, and low-cost space missions with its advanced and reliable small satellite fleet. These space missions support science experiments and in-orbit demonstrations and/or validations of space technologies and products, or space systems. Those quick turnaround and end-to-end services have enabled world class space research and helped innovative space technologies to gain space heritage. Spacety is building and deploying a microwave-based (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite Earth observation constellation to provide the world with global coverage and real-time imagery data as a service (DaaS). This C-band SAR constellation will monitor and observe the Earth, day and night, rain or shine, and make SAR imagery of every point on Earth accessible and affordable to users. The SAR data will be distributed worldwide and will enable innovative solutions to manage our changing world and make it better.
