Stuttgart PhD Research Proposes Indefinite Satellite Orbit Using Atmospheric Air as Fuel
Francesco Romano’s PhD research at the University of Stuttgart introduces a new atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) system that could allow satellites to remain in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) indefinitely without carrying conventional propellant. The system uses a radio-frequency helicon plasma thruster paired with a specular intake to capture atmospheric gases, specifically atomic oxygen, argon, and nitrogen, and convert them into thrust. Laboratory tests demonstrated that the thruster can operate reliably with only 50-60W of power, while modeling suggests it could sustain a satellite between 190 and 250 km altitude using less than 1.6 kW. Although the technology addresses the high cost and limited supply of xenon fuel, it remains unproven in actual space missions due to challenges like atomic oxygen corrosion and atmospheric variability.
