Hidden Champion #2 – Enpulsion

Orbit is getting more crowded—new satellites for communications, Earth observation and security are meeting ever more space debris. Fragments and wreckage race through space at enormous speed. In this environment, one thing matters above all: precision. Holding position, avoiding collisions, extending service life—success in space increasingly depends on the propulsion system.

That is precisely why, since the 1960s, research has focused on innovative propulsion systems based on the field-emission principle, using liquid metals such as indium or gallium as an ion source. For a long time, however, the potential remained confined to the laboratory—too complex and too costly for widespread industrial use.

This is exactly where ENPULSION comes in. The Austrian company is a spin-off from the research environment of the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt—where this technology was developed over many years. Founder Alexander Reissner, one of the early minds behind the approach, has brought the principle from the lab into application. What was long considered too complex is made industrial-ready here—and demonstrates the potential of Europe’s space sector.

At the heart of the technology is a so-called FEEP thruster (Field Emission Electric Propulsion). A liquid metal is ionised by a strong electric field and expelled as an ion beam. This generates extremely fine thrust in the micro-newton range—precise enough to position satellites exactly or make minimal course corrections. At the same time, the system operates with exceptional efficiency and does not require complex pressure tanks or chemical propellants.

At the heart of the technology is a so-called FEEP thruster (Field Emission Electric Propulsion). A liquid metal—in this case indium—is ionised by a strong electric field and expelled as an ion beam. This generates extremely fine thrust in the micro-newton range—precise enough to position satellites exactly or make minimal course corrections. At the same time, the system operates with exceptional efficiency and does not require complex pressure tanks or chemical propellants.

With increasing satellite density and rising requirements in orbit, control over such key technologies is becoming ever more important. ENPULSION shows that Europe can not only keep pace in this field, but also plays a leading role in specialised segments. The company is therefore our Hidden Champion of the week.