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Exploring 'very low Earth orbit': The world's 1st air-breathing satellite thruster could soon get a test run
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Click for next articleArtist's illustration of a satellite operating in very low Earth orbit.
The technology Kreios Space has been developing is called air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP).
"Kreios is building the satellites that make sustained operations in very low Earth orbit possible," Kreios Space CEO Adrián Senar said in the Aug. 4 announcement.
Kreios Space chose Lithuanian-based Kongsberg NanoAvionics to provide the satellite bus that will carry the ABEP system into orbit for the test run.
A new, very low frontierSatellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) — altitudes of roughly 100 miles to 1,200 miles (160 to 2,000 km) — generally don't need constant propulsion.