20 Jun 2025
Start-up in bid to prove UK leads in space tech
A UK-built spacecraft engine that runs on metal is preparing for its first test in space, in a mission that could pave the way for longer-lasting, more flexible satellites.
The plasma thruster, developed by Oxfordshire start-up Magdrive, heats tiny bits of solid metal into a hot gas to produce powerful bursts of thrust.
In the future it could allow satellites to recycle parts of themselves, or space junk for fuel, but for now the metal is carried onboard.
The launch, scheduled from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, US, on Saturday at 22:00 BST, is backed by the UK and European space agencies.