IVO Quantum Drive
IVO Limited
Pure electric satellite thruster requiring zero propellant, based on asymmetric capacitive technology drawing on principles of Quantized Inertia.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Mass
- 0.3 kg
- Power
- 1 W
- Thrust
- 0.045 N
Normalised to common units so this product can be compared with others in its category. The supplier's own wording is below.
As published by the supplier
- Claimed thrust per unit
- 45–52 mN
- Power consumption
- 1 W per unit
- Propellant
- None (zero fuel)
- Mass per unit
- ~300 g
- Scalability
- Stackable modular units
- Degrees of freedom
- Up to 6 (any-orientation mounting)
- Vacuum test level
- 9e-6 Torr
- Operating temperature (tested)
- -100°C to +100°C
- Power source
- Solar-harvested electricity
- Installation
- Internal spacecraft mounting
- Propulsion principle
- Asymmetric capacitive / Quantized Inertia (QI/MiHsC)
- First orbital test
- 10 June 2023 (SpaceX Transporter 8, OTP-2 satellite)
About
The IVO Quantum Drive is a propulsion device for satellites that operates entirely on electrical power with no chemical propellant, pressurized tanks, or exhaust emissions. It uses asymmetric capacitors with microscopic plate gaps filled with a dielectric material; when high-voltage charge is applied, accelerated electrons create an asymmetric reaction force claimed to generate thrust based on the principles of Quantized Inertia (QI/MiHsC).
The thruster is modular and stackable: multiple units can be combined to multiply thrust output, and each unit can be mounted in any orientation, enabling up to six degrees of freedom for spacecraft maneuvering. The system is fully self-contained and can be installed internally within a satellite chassis, eliminating the need for external nozzle clearances. IVO claims performance of approximately 52 millinewtons of thrust per watt of power during thermal vacuum testing, validated by E-Labs of Fredericksburg, Virginia at 9×10^-6 Torr and temperatures from -100°C to +100°C.
The Quantum Drive flew its first orbital demonstration aboard the OTP-2 satellite (Rogue Space Systems) launched on SpaceX Transporter 8 on June 10, 2023. The technology remains scientifically controversial as quantized inertia is not yet mainstream consensus physics, and independent orbital thrust confirmation has not been publicly released.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.