To develop propulsion technologies for small satellites in GEO orbit
The French Armament General Directorate, through the Defence Innovation Agency, is supporting Exotrail to develop technologies allowing small satellites to operate in geostationary orbit. Under the RAPID programme, a funding framework operated by the Defence Innovation Agency, Exotrail will mature its technologies and extend their product portfolio to provide thrust vectoring and cold gas propulsion capabilities for customers.
When operating in geostationary orbit, small satellites face unique constraints not served by the market today. With this programme called PROXIMA, Exotrail will develop thrust vectoring and cold gas propulsion using unique in-house expertise and capabilities. These new features, together with the existing electric propulsion systems ExoMG™, will allow Exotrail to offer the market a complete and coherent hardware system to maintain and control the orbit and the attitude of a spacecraft in geostationary orbit.
“The Defence Innovation Agency was created to accelerate innovative projects and companies” said Emmanuel Chiva, Director of the AID. "Today we are supporting Exotrail because the technologies they have and are developing meet our needs, as well as needs from the commercial sector. It is a pleasure to work with them as part of this PROXIMA project".
“Market demand for small satellites in GEO orbit is rising, and this is coming both from the institutional and commercial worlds” said David Henri, one of the four co-founders and CEO of Exotrail. "This is going to accelerate in the next few years and thanks to this contract we will be ready to serve the needs of our customers with world-leading innovative solutions."
A microsatellite equipped with our propulsion technologies in GEO orbit (artist view) © Real Dream, Exotrail
Exotrail is a France-based space company which designs, develops, and operate mobility solutions for an agile space. Our mission is to allow small satellite to move in space, so that we can optimize their deployment, increase their performances and reduce space pollution. Thanks to this, a new world of telecommunication, Earth observation and space exploration will arise. Our mobility solutions range from highly flexible high-thrust propulsion systems for small satellites (ExoMG™), mission simulation and operation software (ExoOPS™), and orbital transfer vehicles (SpaceVan™).
Exotrail has been incorporated in 2017 and has secured since then over 18M€ from prestigious Venture Capital funds and public grants. Our team consists of 30 people who are passionate about disrupting the space industry. We operate out of two locations: Toulouse and Massy (suburb of Paris) in France
Press Contact: press@exotrail.com
Jacques Denavaut, +33 6 85 13 13 97 - jacques.denavaut@exotrail.com
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The Defense Innovation Agency, in liaison with the French Armament General Directorate, brings together all the keys players of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and all the actions that contribute to defense innovation. As the spearhead and catalyst of innovation within the Ministry, the Agency conducts actions to support innovation. This spirit of innovation infuses the major programs planned over the long term as well as the open innovation that requires short endorsement and deployment cycles.
