Magdrive

Magdrive is a British space propulsion company based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, UK. Founded in 2019 by CEO Mark Stokes and CTO Dr. Thomas Clayson, both plasma physics specialists from Imperial College London, the company builds a family of electric plasma thrusters that use solid metal propellant and onboard energy storage to generate high-energy plasma, delivering thrust levels significantly greater than conventional electric propulsion systems of similar size and mass.

Magdrive's product line spans three thrusters of increasing power: Rogue, a compact CubeSat-class thruster with up to 10 mN of maximum thrust and 3 kNs of total impulse, ready for satellites operating in LEO and beyond; Warlock, a higher-power thruster offering up to 30 mN of maximum thrust and 50 kNs of total impulse, targeted for a 2028 launch; and Paladin, a next-generation thruster designed to exceed 1 N of maximum thrust, representing a major step up in propulsive capability for larger spacecraft and orbital transfer applications.

Key applications for Magdrive's propulsion systems include sustained rendezvous and proximity operations for satellite servicing and in-space assembly and manufacturing (ISAM), stochastic orbital maneuvering for defense satellites, and high-cadence collision-avoidance and end-of-life de-orbiting for satellites operating in increasingly congested low Earth orbit constellations.

The company has flown hardware in orbit, including a first in-orbit propulsion experiment in 2023 launched with EnduroSat aboard a Falcon 9, and its full-scale 'Going Rogue' mission in June 2025, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter mission in partnership with D-Orbit. In February 2025, Magdrive raised a $10.5 million seed round led by Redalpine, with participation from Founders Fund, Balerion Space Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Outsized Ventures, Entrepreneur First, and 7percent Ventures, bringing total funding to approximately $22.5 million.