AURA – the engine that makes lower orbits possible.
AURA is our breakthrough atmosphere-breathing propulsion system which transforms Earth's atmosphere into an unlimited propellant source, enabling sustained flight at previously unreachable altitudes.
Air as Propellant.
The principles behind our breakthrough are elegantly simple. AURA breathes in atmospheric particles, ionizes them, and accelerates them to speeds over 50 km/s using solar power. The result? Satellites that fly closer to Earth, for longer—using only air, sunlight, and engineering brilliance. Just as jet engines use the air around them to cross oceans, we asked: why can’t satellites do the same in space?
Air-collector
Our proprietary air-intake collects air as the satellite moves through the atmosphere, and eliminates the need for to bring stored propellant from Earth.
Thruster
A radio-frequency (RF) generator excites the captured gas, stripping electrons and forming a plasma. The positively charged ions are then accelerated through grids, producing thrust.
Cathode
Our cathode injects a steady stream of electrons into the ion beam, neutralizing the exhaust and preventing spacecraft charging.
AURA. We’ve been perfecting this engine for the last four years.
From breakthrough concept to flight-ready technology, our journey to unlock Earth's lowest orbit.
2025
Pre-flight generation
7th engine generation - fully integrated unit designed to pass pre-launch tests.
2024
Optimized performance
6th engine generation with built-in electronics and control algorithms.
2023
Integrated Propulsion
4th generation of the engine with integrated electronics, passes continuous 24-hour operational tests.
2022
Stable operation
3rd generation which demonstrated stable and efficient operations.
2021
First Ignition
Demonstration of the first New Orbit engine.
The numbers behind the wonder.
Explore the technical specifications behind AURA, the world's first air-breathing ion thruster. Discover the advantages driving unmatched efficiency, sustained operation at ultra-low Earth orbit.
(s) Specific impulse
Specifications
• Propellant
Air (N2/O2 mixture)
• Total Power
500-1500 W
• Thrust level
1-18 mN
• Specific impulse
up to 8700 s
AURA-X: Xenon-fed propulsion.
Meet AURA-X—our breakthrough propulsion system, fully compatible with conventional xenon storage. It delivers four times higher specific impulse than typical alternatives, requiring four times less propellant to complete your mission.
Specifications
• Propellant
Xenon
• Total power
100-750 W
• Thrust level
4-20 mN
• Specific impulse
up to 4500 s
