GREEN PROPULSION FOR ANY SATELLITE

Dawn’s bi-propellant systems are high-performance, use non-toxic fuels (N2O & C3H6), and have a simplified, modular and scalable architecture which means your satellites get to where they need to go fast, so your payloads can get to work.

Turn-key systems for SmallSats, Orbital Transfer Vehicles, CubeSats and everything in between.

Three satellite propulsion systems with different forms for different customer satellite missions.
SatDrive logo with the word SatDrive - which is the name for our satellite propulsion system

Turn-key propulsion systems for 30 kg to 500+ kg satellites. Through standardised interfaces and flexible form factors, we deliver purpose-built systems — fast.

All systems include thrusters, tanks, valves, instruments, and control electronics. We’re a full-service partner, working with you wherever you need us, from initial design to on-orbit commissioning and operations.

Benefits of Chemical Propulsion

  • High thrust

  • Lower power

  • Modular

  • Scalable - 30 kg to 500+ kg satellites

Off-the-Shelf or Customised Systems

Work with our engineers to create a custom system tailored to your requirements or leverage our extensive mission heritage by selecting a standardized design.

Reduced non-recurring engineering. Reduced costs. Reduced lead times.

Standard lead time: 6-12 months for recurring systems.

Satellite propulsion system - 5KNs
Satellite propulsion system - 7KNs

SD5 - 5kNs Class SatDrive

SD7 - 7kNs Class SatDrive

Satellite propulsion system - 70kNs
Satellite propulsion system- 15KNs

SD70 - 70kNs Class SatDrive

SD15 - 15kNs Class SatDrive

Your satellite propulsion system - customised

Custom Systems

Dawn’s Green Propulsion Heritage

26

Satellites

3

Launchers

122

Thrusters

2

Thrust classes

Customers and Missions

satellite propulsion system - 5kNs

"Dawn Aerospace’s green and efficient propulsion systems, with their simplicity and rapid turnaround, play a crucial role in supporting Pixxel’s mission to deploy and scale our hyperspectral satellite constellation swiftly.

This partnership enables us to accelerate Earth-monitoring efforts and deliver critical insights for a better future.”

Awais Ahmed, CEO, Pixxel

"We are moving fast, and we need suppliers that can match our cadence and quality. The in-space heritage, creative thinking and solutions-focused approach we've seen from Dawn give us great confidence in their ability to deliver."

Stephen Steg, CEO, Blue Canyon Technologies

Modular SatDrive Systems - How it Works

Dawn’s range of standardized components are assembled into various form factors to meet your mission requirements.

Components for chemical satellite propulsion systems - thrusters, tanks and electronics.

Plug-and-Play Components

Thrusters for satellite propulsion
Propellant tanks for our green propulsion systems.
Control electronics for satellite propulsion systems
Valves used as part of spacecraft propulsion systems.
Software for satellite propulsion systems
Feedlines for satellite propulsion systems
CubeDrive Logo - for CubeSat Propulsion

CubeSat propulsion systems and bolt-on collision avoidance kits for ESPA-class satellites. Each CubeDrive includes a B1 thruster, tanks, valves, and control electronics. Structures are 3D printed as a single monolithic piece using Inconel, including fuel and oxidizer tanks. Health monitoring instrumentation includes various thermocouples and pressure sensors.

Thrusters

Our standardised thrusters for scalable, modular SatDrive systems.

B20 Thruster - a 20N bipropellant rocket engine for satellites.
B20 Thruster logo - our 20N spacecraft engine

- 20N

B1 thruster - a 1N bipropellant rocket engine for satellite propulsion.
B1 Thruster logo for cubesats

- 1N

DEFINING FEATURES

High-performance propulsion
Experience significant time and power savings by switching to spark-based ignition, allowing you to conduct cold-start to full thrust firings in under 100ms. Achieve high performance exactly when needed by removing sensitive catalysts.

Rideshare friendly
Dawn’s propulsion systems have flown on every SpaceX Transporter mission to date, Starlink rideshare, and Arianespace’s Vega rideshare. Learn more about our safe failure modes and why launchers like what we’re building.

A unified architecture
All Dawn systems use the same highly scalable N2O/C3H6 architecture. Select your desired thruster quantity and thrust class(es), tank size, and interface, then let us do the rest.

Less parts = higher reliability
Propellants are self-pressurising and don't require external pressurants, high-pressure regulators, or mechanical PMDs. There are no rare-Earth materials, catalyst beds, or proprietary propellants. The result: low part count, low weight, low cost, and high reliability.

Dual firing modes
Unique for rendezvous and proximity operations, all thrusters can operate in both a bi-propellant and cold-gas mode by controlling the spark igniter. Even with large thrusters, achieve tiny impulse bits for RPO, fine pointing, and servicing.

Domestic propellant suppliers
N2O (purity class 2.0) and C3H6 (purity class 2.5) are widely available from domestic suppliers. ITAR-free and REACH-compliant, avoid the international supply chain, export control, and cost issues of proprietary propellant blends.

“We are excited to partner with Dawn Aerospace on this important feature for our LizzieSat™ constellation.  We believe Dawn’s turnkey propulsion technology will allow us to extend our time in orbit and deliver on our future value proposition of providing space-based data to a multitude of industries.”

— Carol Craig, CEO & Founder, Sidus Space

"With their series of space-proven components, Dawn's modular system is designed to grow as we grow. They have all the building blocks and thrust levels we need, allowing us to scale systems as needed, up or down."

— Andrés Villa, CTO, UARX Space

“We’re proud to utilize Dawn’s propulsion system on our mission to provide the world’s best hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellites. Our goal is to launch a constellation that acts as a global health monitor for the planet. With Dawn’s help, we’re one step closer to achieving that and build a healthier planet.”

— Awais Ahmed, CEO & Co-founder, Pixxel

DESIGN, DELIVERY, & SUPPORT 🚀

Mission design
Whether you want orbit insertion, phasing, stationkeeping, debris avoidance, life extension, momentum management, de-orbiting, or all the above, we’ll help you with mission success.

Engineering support
Although our systems all use a unified architecture, we know that satellite builders have different needs. That’s why we give engineering support to all our customers.

Production
High-volume and high-cadence production. State-of-the-art additive manufacturing with lean production methodology. In-house 5-axis machinery and cleanrooms.

Accelerated schedules
Enabled by vertically integrated capabilities of engineering, manufacturing, and testing.

Environmental qualification
In-house hot-fire and hydrostatic test facilities. Access to world-class test facilities for thermal cycling, shock, 3-axis vibration, and radiation testing.

Acceptance testing
In-house vacuum chambers and ambient test setups for hot-fire and full hardware-in-the-loop tests. Standardized and well-defined test procedures and quality assurance plans.

Export
Global export licenses, exporting from New Zealand and The Netherlands. Flown on satellites launched aboard 🇺🇸 and 🇪🇺 vehicles.

Launch-site fueling support
Dawn provides worldwide support for satellite fueling and propellant sourcing, whether at the launch site or your own premises.

On-orbit commissioning
We don’t just deliver you hardware, a few ICDs, then leave you to it. We are a full-service partner by your side the entire way.