British startup Magdrive has announced the development of a revolutionary engine for satellites that uses solid metal as fuel. The best part is that this technology could help utilize space junk — turning old satellites into an energy source.
Successful compromise
The company has developed a propulsion system called Warlock that ionizes solid metal instead of current electrical systems that generate power by ionizing pressurized gas. According to founder Mark Stokes, it combines the advantages of chemical and electric plants: high traction and energy efficiency. “Our technology delivers power by significantly reducing the mass and volume of the system,” he explained.
Today’s spacecraft use either uneconomical chemical propulsion or low-power electric propulsion. Warlock could be a compromise. In addition, the system does not require transportation of fuel from Earth — the substitute will be metal from old satellites. It will reduce launch costs and help combat orbital debris clogging, which already numbers more than 130 million pieces of debris.
Challenges and prospects
Although the idea of using garbage as fuel is ingenious, there are nuances. Firstly, to “recycle” an old satellite, permission from its owner is required. Second, capturing out-of-control objects in space is technologically incredibly difficult. “This requires precise maneuvering, and the relevant technology is still developing,” said MinKwan Kim, an astronautics expert.
There are also risks: ionizing the metal can change its structure or contaminate the system, reducing performance. Nevertheless, Magdrive is moving forward steadily. In June, the company plans to test a Warlock prototype that ionizes copper rather than garbage. If the tests are successful, the technology could be installed on satellites for communications, Earth observation or maintenance.
New Space Age Economy
Stokes believes Magdrive will create a new space age economy: “We want to utilize the resources we already have in orbit instead of taking even more fuel from Earth.” While this is a hypothetical scenario for now, it is the kind of innovation that can make space exploration sustainable and safe.
Warlock is still just a concept, but it opens the door to a future where space debris becomes a valuable resource rather than a problem. And despite many obstacles along the way, Magdrive has already shown: bold ideas sometimes take science to the next level.
Previously, we explained the working of ion engines.
According to CNN
