Scientists create a new propulsion system that allows satellites to use the air from Earth's atmosphere as fuel to operate in space with lower costs and longer operational time.

Scientists create a new propulsion system that allows satellites to use the air from Earth’s atmosphere as fuel to operate in space with lower costs and longer operational time.

Written by Flavia Marinho

Published on 28/03/2026 at 02:33

Updated on 02/05/2026 at 20:50

Be the first to react!

Propulsion technology using atmospheric air can change satellite operation and enable longer and cheaper missions

A new satellite propulsion system is attracting attention for using the surrounding environment as an energy source. The proposal is simple yet powerful: to use particles from Earth’s atmosphere as fuel, eliminating the need to carry large reserves on board.

The information was released by TransMIT GmbH, a company involved in the development of the space project. This innovation could reduce costs, increase operational time, and pave the way for a new generation of satellites.

Currently, satellites rely on internal fuel to maintain orbit. This increases weight, raises launch costs, and limits lifespan. With the new technology, this scenario could change significantly.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

How the propulsion using atmospheric air works

The technology is called air-breathing electric propulsion, known as ABEP. Instead of carrying fuel, the satellite captures small particles present in the atmosphere at lower altitudes.

These particles are converted into energy within the system. The process involves capturing, electrically charging, and accelerating these gases to generate thrust.

This allows the satellite to continue moving without relying on traditional fuel, something that could completely change how these machines operate in space.

Satellites can operate closer to Earth

The new technology allows satellites to function at altitudes between 180 and 250 kilometers, a region where traces of atmospheric gases still exist.

This type of orbit is called very low Earth orbit. In this region, satellites experience more resistance from the environment, which would normally require more fuel.

With the new system, this resistance becomes advantageous, as the very particles causing the friction serve as an energy source.

Project advances and undergoes important validation stage

The system has already gone through an important technical evaluation phase, demonstrating that it is possible to advance in development.

The initiative involves companies and support from the European Space Agency, the organization responsible for space projects in Europe. The goal is to create an engine capable of operating using gases such as nitrogen and oxygen.

A prototype is under construction and is expected to be tested in environments that simulate low-altitude space conditions.

New technology eliminates difficult-to-use component

One of the most relevant advancements is, therefore, the removal of a part known as the cathode, common in traditional engines.

This part has always been difficult to adapt in this type of system. Now, the new model can operate without it, simplifying the design and increasing efficiency.

The information was released by TransMIT GmbH, a company involved in the development of the space project, which is directly participating in the advancement of the technology.

Direct impact on mission cost and duration

With less weight and no need for stored fuel, satellites can become cheaper to launch and operate.

Additionally, the ability to generate energy continuously using the surrounding environment allows for longer missions.

This could benefit various areas, such as communication, Earth monitoring, and services that rely on satellites being active for long periods.

Technology could change the future of satellites

The propulsion that uses atmospheric air is still under development, but it already shows potential to transform the space sector.

With greater efficiency and less dependence on limited resources, it paves the way for a new generation of satellites that can operate closer to Earth and for longer periods.

This type of advancement indicates a significant change in how space equipment is designed and utilized.

The evolution of this technology could directly influence the cost, accessibility, and expansion of satellite use in the coming years.

Want to know more about technologies that are changing the world? Leave your comment or share this news with those interested in innovation.

0 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

Scientists create a new propulsion system that allows satellites to use the air from Earth’s atmosphere as fuel to operate in space with lower costs and longer operational time.

Propulsion technology using atmospheric air can change satellite operation and enable longer and cheaper missions

How the propulsion using atmospheric air works

Satellites can operate closer to Earth

Project advances and undergoes important validation stage

New technology eliminates difficult-to-use component

Direct impact on mission cost and duration

Technology could change the future of satellites

A giant printer called the “Ferrari” of concrete has landed in Latin America and can already build a 120-square-meter house in just 48 hours, making the traditional construction site look like something from the last century.

Brazil will harvest a record crop of up to 357 million tons of grains, but it does not have the capacity to store a large part of it. The storage deficit has reached the highest level in history and is equivalent to almost the entire production of Argentina.

Four times faster than the Concorde, capable of taking passengers from New York to London in less than an hour at Mach 5.5, and with an engine that switches from turbojet to ramjet mid-flight at Mach 3.5, the Hermeus Quarterhorse went from paper to its first flight in just 19 months.

Under nearly 2 kilometers of ice in Antarctica, scientists have discovered an ancient landscape sculpted by rivers up to 60 million years ago, the size of Wales, preserved as a time capsule that could help predict the advance of ice towards the ocean.

She started by collecting oyster shells from restaurants and today she has already accumulated more than 10 tons to restore reefs, recover coastal habitats, and demonstrate how a common waste can become a tool for ocean conservation.

SpaceX will dock a $843 million vehicle to the International Space Station to push a nearly 420-ton laboratory against the atmosphere and make the debris fall in a controlled manner into the ocean.

The bridge that will connect Brazil to the Pacific by land, costing around one billion reais, is expected to be completed by 2026 and shorten the route to Asia.

Government releases new shoulder function on roads: side lane gains solar plants capable of supplying 100% of road operation using tolls, roofs, and technical areas without altering the asphalt in Kiato, Greece

“We take care of our own criminals,” stated José Múcio while criticizing the U.S. decision regarding PCC and Comando Vermelho and defending that Brazil should resolve the issue without external interference.

Saudi Arabia bought nearly 397,000 tons of Brazilian chicken, but now wants to create a poultry empire in the desert: the self-sufficiency plan targets local production, threatens shipments from BRF, JBS, and Seara, and raises an alert for Brazil in the halal market until 2030.

New ‘Rota dos Sertões’ could elevate the Brazilian Northeast with R$ 4.1 billion in investments, nearly 500 km modernized on the BR-116, 95 km of duplications, and strategic works that promise to transform logistics, agribusiness, and the regional economy.

Scientists create a new propulsion system that allows satellites to use the air from Earth’s atmosphere as fuel to operate in space with lower costs and longer operational time.

Propulsion technology using atmospheric air can change satellite operation and enable longer and cheaper missions

How the propulsion using atmospheric air works

Satellites can operate closer to Earth

Project advances and undergoes important validation stage

New technology eliminates difficult-to-use component

Direct impact on mission cost and duration

Technology could change the future of satellites

A giant printer called the “Ferrari” of concrete has landed in Latin America and can already build a 120-square-meter house in just 48 hours, making the traditional construction site look like something from the last century.

Brazil will harvest a record crop of up to 357 million tons of grains, but it does not have the capacity to store a large part of it. The storage deficit has reached the highest level in history and is equivalent to almost the entire production of Argentina.

Four times faster than the Concorde, capable of taking passengers from New York to London in less than an hour at Mach 5.5, and with an engine that switches from turbojet to ramjet mid-flight at Mach 3.5, the Hermeus Quarterhorse went from paper to its first flight in just 19 months.

Under nearly 2 kilometers of ice in Antarctica, scientists have discovered an ancient landscape sculpted by rivers up to 60 million years ago, the size of Wales, preserved as a time capsule that could help predict the advance of ice towards the ocean.

She started by collecting oyster shells from restaurants and today she has already accumulated more than 10 tons to restore reefs, recover coastal habitats, and demonstrate how a common waste can become a tool for ocean conservation.

SpaceX will dock a $843 million vehicle to the International Space Station to push a nearly 420-ton laboratory against the atmosphere and make the debris fall in a controlled manner into the ocean.

Government releases new shoulder function on roads: side lane gains solar plants capable of supplying 100% of road operation using tolls, roofs, and technical areas without altering the asphalt in Kiato, Greece

Capable of hitting vessels hundreds of kilometers away at supersonic speed and drastically reducing enemy reaction time, the BrahMos arrives in Vietnam under an agreement that includes pilot training by India and aims to create a deterrent arc in front of the disputed islands with China.

Influencer reports alleged UFO sighting in Paraná, goes viral with millions of views, and says he lives between fascination and fear after mysterious phenomenon

Sedentary lifestyle advances silently in Brazil while millions ignore one of the biggest risk factors for cancer and other serious diseases.

The world’s largest lithium mine begins operations this month in Congo and promises to produce 130,000 tons per year of the metal that drives the battery era.

The bridge that will connect Brazil to the Pacific by land, costing around one billion reais, is expected to be completed by 2026 and shorten the route to Asia.

Government releases new shoulder function on roads: side lane gains solar plants capable of supplying 100% of road operation using tolls, roofs, and technical areas without altering the asphalt in Kiato, Greece

“We take care of our own criminals,” stated José Múcio while criticizing the U.S. decision regarding PCC and Comando Vermelho and defending that Brazil should resolve the issue without external interference.

Saudi Arabia bought nearly 397,000 tons of Brazilian chicken, but now wants to create a poultry empire in the desert: the self-sufficiency plan targets local production, threatens shipments from BRF, JBS, and Seara, and raises an alert for Brazil in the halal market until 2030.

New ‘Rota dos Sertões’ could elevate the Brazilian Northeast with R$ 4.1 billion in investments, nearly 500 km modernized on the BR-116, 95 km of duplications, and strategic works that promise to transform logistics, agribusiness, and the regional economy.