spaceware Hall Thrusters for Small Satellites

Exotrail is a French provider of orbital services based in Massy, near Paris. It gives satellites mobility in space, including orbit positioning, collision avoidance and end-of-life deorbiting, which operators increasingly need for safe and sustainable constellations.

Its spaceware line of electric Hall thrusters covers three classes. Nano is a 60 W system for CubeSats and 10 to 80 kg platforms with up to 6 kNs total impulse; Micro is a 150 W unit for microsatellites with up to 60 kNs; Mini is a 300 to 600 W system for small satellite constellations with up to 450 kNs, running on xenon or krypton. All use CAN, RS422 or RS485 interfaces. More than 31 systems are in space, over 200 units have been ordered from 20 countries, and customers shown include NASA JPL, Airbus, OHB, York, Blue Canyon and XDLINX. Exotrail also develops the spacevan servicing vehicle.

• spaceware Nano: 60 W, 2.5 mN Hall thruster for CubeSats and 10 to 80 kg platforms.
• spaceware Micro: 150 W, 7 mN system for microsatellites that can be clustered for more thrust.
• spaceware Mini: 300 to 600 W, 12 to 32 mN system for constellation satellites.
• Propellant options: xenon on all models, with krypton available on Mini.
• Standard interfaces: 16 V or 28 V power and CAN, RS422 or RS485 control.
• In-orbit services: spacevan vehicle for servicing and deorbiting missions.

• Vietnamese micro-satellite programmes adding a Micro thruster for altitude maintenance and end-of-life deorbiting.
• Constellation operators in the region using Mini thrusters for orbit raising and collision avoidance.
• CubeSat builders integrating a Nano thruster to extend mission life in very low orbits.

• Electric propulsion gives small satellites orbit raising, station keeping, collision avoidance and deorbiting.
• Three power classes from 60 W to 600 W cover CubeSats to constellation satellites.
• Flight heritage with 31+ systems in space and 200+ units ordered by customers in 20 countries.
• Design lifetime of five to seven years in orbit with thousands of on/off cycles.

Growing congestion in low Earth orbit and stricter debris rules require satellites to manoeuvre and deorbit on time, making compact electric propulsion a standard subsystem. Asian satellite builders, such as XDLINX, are already buying European thrusters, and new Southeast Asian programmes will face the same requirements.

Headquartered at 3 Rue Galvani, Massy, France, with a US entity. In September 2026 partnered with Safran on an electric propulsion reference offer and was selected under France 2030 to lead a deorbiting demonstration with Astroscale France and Eutelsat, contracted by CNES.