According to specialist website Space Watch, Spacety is one of China’s first private space companies. It set up its international headquarters in Luxembourg in 2019.
ThrustMe is based in the Paris region, France, and is a commercial spin-off from a research lab of Ecole Polytechnique and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).
The companies announced on Sunday that they had successfully launched Spacety’s Beihangkongshi-1 satellite carrying ThrustMe’s innovative propulsion system on a CZ-6 Long March 6 rocket from Taiyuan in China.
Satellite Evolution Group, a trade publication, explained that iodine propulsion systems are advantageous as iodine can be stored in solid form and does not require complex storage solutions such as high-pressure tanks. This means that the propulsion system can be delivered pre-filled, simplifying satellite integration and testing.
