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Kreios Space selects NanoAvionics for air-breathing electric-propulsion VLEO demonstration

Spanish startup Kreios Space will demonstrate its air-breathing electric propulsion system in Very Low Earth Orbit aboard a microsatellite bus supplied by Kongsberg NanoAvionics. The mission targets the atmospheric-drag challenge that limits sustained VLEO operations and is planned as the first in-orbit demonstration of the technology.

Discovered 2026-08-03T21:15:29.391980-07:00 | 2026-08-03T21:15:29.391980-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The mission tests an air-breathing electric propulsion approach intended to counter atmospheric drag in VLEO, potentially enabling longer-duration operations in a demanding orbital regime.
Kreios is pairing its propulsion system with a Kongsberg NanoAvionics microsatellite bus, illustrating how specialized space startups are combining proprietary propulsion with commercially supplied spacecraft platforms.
The demonstration will provide an in-orbit validation milestone for ABEP technology, beyond ground testing, in a segment where sustained operations are constrained by the residual atmosphere.

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