TAILWIND
Non-toxic chemical propulsion for ESPA-class LEO satellites.
Technical Specifications
- Total impulse
- 22,500 Ns
- Thrust range
- 1,000 to 5,600 mN
Deep individual throttle control of all 4 thrusters - Power, firing
- 150 to 614 W
Scales linearly with commanded thrust level - Propellants
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) & Ethane (C2H6)
- Environment
- >20 krad TID & 5 to 30 °C
- Mass
- Wet: 29.0 kg / Dry: 18.4 kg
- Envelope
- 550 × 360 × 275 mm
Chemical when you need agility
Orbit change
Commissioning after launch, or repositioning for the mission.
- Electric
- Months
- Chemical
- Days
Collision avoidance
Debris or a threat, often with short warning.
- Electric
- Days
- Chemical
- Minutes
Proximity operations
Moving close to another satellite to inspect, repair or refuel.
- Electric
- Not possible
- Chemical
- Agile, precise
TAILWIND
- 1,000× higher thrustCompared to electric systems used today
- Green propellantsNon-toxic, self-pressurizing and cheap
- Reliable ignitionWith our patent pending fluid system
- 50 systems per yearProduction capacity in new facilities
- Built to ship from stockTarget: 1-month lead time for standard units, vs. typical 9–18 months
Simple by design
Two tanks. Four thrusters. Dual redundant power and data interface.
No pressurant, no pumps, no catalyst.
Documentation, modernised
The full TAILWIND user's guide, online and searchable. One reference from selection to operations.
Flexible thrust, flexible power
Commanded thrust
3,000 mN
Firing power
352 W
Thruster 1
750 mN
Thruster 2
750 mN
Thruster 3
750 mN
Thruster 4
750 mN
High thrust on a small-sat power budget. Pick any level from 1 to 5.6 N, command a single number, and TAILWIND balances it across all four thrusters automatically.
Features that makes it work
>20 kRad
TID radiation tolerance for 5 years in LEO.
PhaseGuard
Increase ignition reliability with our patent-pending fluid management system.
SpinLock
Keeps thrust autonomously aligned through the centre of mass.
Tailored for rideshare
We designed TAILWIND around rideshare from the very first sketch, shaping it to fit the space that is already there. The thrusters sit inside the 24" separation ring, using just 91 mm of the 177.8 mm intrusion allowance on a SpaceX Rideshare Full / XL Plate, so TAILWIND fits a wide range of platforms without redesigning the satellite.
Made for serial production
Every part of TAILWIND is engineered for manufacturability from day one, so we can build systems in series, not one at a time. Our patent-pending thruster manufacturing process gives regenerative cooling without any additive manufacturing. It is the first time this has been done for a thruster of this size anywhere in the world.
Order a TAILWIND propulsion system
Unit price
€400,000
Final price depends on the modification and is confirmed in your quote.
Included
- Full standard TAILWIND system
- Documentation
- Propellant
- Filling
- Support
Quantity
Configuration
- 1Place your order
- 2NDA sent for signature within 2 business days
- 3Order confirmation within 2 business days of the signed NDA
Your order is confirmed once checks are complete and both parties have signed. See our Order Terms.
Included and optional services
INCLUDED IN THE UNIT PRICE
- PropellantTAILWIND is delivered with propellant included in the price.
- Propellant fillingWe fill TAILWIND once for your satellite's environmental test campaign and once at the launch site, with our own equipment. Travel and days on site included.
- 20 hours of engineering supportFrom contract signature until delivery.
- 10 hours of in-orbit supportRemote support during the first month after launch.
- Full documentation packageStructural and load models, mass data, plume analysis, command list and acceptance test results for your unit.
Optional
- Electrical and software modelsDevelop and test your interface to TAILWIND before the flight unit arrives.
- Product modificationsLarger tanks, eight thrusters or thrusters placed differently.
- Mission planning and analysesOrbit simulations and extra analyses, such as exhaust plume.
- Extra fillingsAdditional fillings or emptying, for example if your launch is delayed.
- Extended support and warrantyAdditional engineering hours, monthly support after launch and extended warranty.
FAQ
Let's talk propulsion.
We're ready when you are.
TAILWIND: non-toxic bipropellant propulsion for ESPA-class LEO satellites
TAILWIND is a non-toxic chemical propulsion system for ESPA-class satellites in low Earth orbit. It is a self-pressurizing bipropellant system running on nitrous oxide (N₂O) and ethane (C₂H₆), with no pressurant tank, no pumps and no catalyst bed. Four thrusters deliver 1 to 5.6 N of thrust and 22,500 Ns of total impulse at a specific impulse of 206 to 242 s. Power draw scales linearly with thrust, from 150 to 614 W. There is no catalyst to preheat, so the system goes from idle to full thrust in under 30 seconds. PhaseGuard (patent pending) vaporizes liquid in the feed lines so only gas reaches the thrusters, which removes the leading cause of ignition failure in self-pressurized systems. SpinLock throttles each thruster individually using an internal IMU and holds the net thrust vector through the centre of mass, with no ADCS input needed during the burn.
TAILWIND weighs 29.0 kg wet and 18.4 kg dry. Its envelope is 550 × 360 × 184 mm above the base plate, with an overall height of 275 mm. The thrusters sit below the spacecraft bottom plate, inside the separation ring, and are compatible with the SpaceX Rideshare Full Plate and XL Plate with Intrusion and the Exolaunch CarboNIX 24″ ring. A single interface panel carries dual-redundant power feeds and CAN buses running CubeSat Space Protocol. Almost no heat soaks into the spacecraft, and the exhaust of water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen leaves near-zero residue on optics and solar arrays. Design life is 5 years, electronics are radiation-qualified above 20 krad TID, and the system is ITAR-free. Total impulse scales with tank length, and the thruster count can be increased to eight for single-failure tolerance. Qualification follows ECSS with a QM/FM philosophy. TAILWIND is built in Copenhagen, Denmark, with flight units available for delivery from May 2027 (Q2).