The Exploration Company has awarded US-based Agile Space a contract to provide thrusters for its Nyx Earth spacecraft.
Founded in 2021, The Exploration Company is developing a reusable spacecraft that will initially be used to transport cargo to and from the International Space Station under a European Space Agency contract. An initial mission to the orbiting laboratory is expected to take place no later than 2028.
On 12 August, Agile Space announced that it had been contracted to provide its DS250 hypergolic bipropellant thrusters for use aboard the Nyx Earth spacecraft. While the company does not provide specific information about the expected performance of the thruster, its established naming conventions indicate that it will be capable of producing 250 N of thrust.
“When we asked Agile to develop and prove out a brand-new thruster in 3 months, and they delivered beautiful performance on the test stand in 10 weeks, we knew we had the right propulsion partner,” said Hélène Huby, CEO of The Exploration Company.
In a response to European Spaceflight, The Exploration Company explained by email that it had selected Agile Space and its thrusters because they were well-suited to its “initial operational needs.” The company added that selecting a proven system would enable it to “meet all the standards and certifications needed early in the program.”
While the company has outsourced the development of the thrusters that will be used for the Nyx Earth spacecraft’s initial missions, it is also developing its own. In July, the company announced that it had completed an initial hot fire test campaign of its GOX/GCH4-powered Breeze thruster. The thruster is expected to be installed on the company’s Nyx Moon spacecraft variant, which will conduct missions to lunar orbit and to the Moon’s surface. In late 2024, the company projected that it could launch its first Nyx Moon mission by 2029.