Paladin

The Paladin thruster operates by vaporizing various solid metal propellants into a plasma, which is then accelerated to ultra-high velocities in discrete ‘shots’. These plasma shots are subsequently passed through a high-field magnetic chamber, which further accelerates and directs the plasma exhaust. This process is designed to produce market-leading thrust while maintaining a highly competitive specific impulse. The system incorporates a pulsed power system (PPS) capable of delivering multi-kA, MW class electrical current pulses to the plasma injector. Its performance is customizable, allowing for adjustable specific impulse and deep throttling, making it suitable for rendezvous, proximity operations, and precise maneuvering. An integrated microprocessor enables command through the satellite’s master controls, ensuring an easy-to-integrate propulsion solution. The use of storable metal propellant eliminates the need for heavy fuel tanks, cryogenics, or pressurization, and also removes associated handling hazards. Furthermore, the thruster offers directional thrust capabilities, allowing a single unit to vector up to 10 degrees by altering its magnetic properties, which can be used for both main propulsion and attitude control.