PERSEI Space to test tether solution for orbital mobility

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In the increasingly crowded corridors of low-Earth orbit, a Spanish company is pioneering technology that could revolutionize how satellites operate. PERSEI Space has developed an elegant solution to two of the space industry’s most pressing challenges: the proliferation of orbital debris and the limitations of conventional propulsion systems.

PERSEI Space has been selected for the European Space Agency’s Flight Ticket Initiative program, securing a spot on one of the first five flights in this competitive program. This represents a pivotal moment in the company’s trajectory toward commercial success. The upcoming Electrodynamic Tether technology for Passive Consumable-less deorbit Kit (E.T. Pack) demonstration aboard Avio’s Vega-C rocket, launching from French Guiana’s European spaceport as an auxiliary passenger, offers more than just a cost-effective flight opportunity.

This ESA partnership validates PERSEI’s innovative space tether technology at the highest levels of European space policy, strengthening the company’s credibility with potential commercial customers and demonstrating that its vision of sustainable, propellant-free space operations has garnered serious institutional attention. As the 2026 in-orbit demonstration approaches, PERSEI Space stands uniquely positioned to transform its theoretically sound approach to space debris mitigation into an operationally viable reality.

(Video Caption: This Week In Spaceflight of Aug. 29, 2025, covers the Flight Ticket Initiative. Credit: NSF)

But what exactly makes this technology so revolutionary, and why has it attracted such high-level institutional backing? The answer lies in addressing two of the most pressing challenges facing the modern space industry: an increasingly congested orbital environment and the fundamental limitations of traditional propulsion systems.

With NASA currently tracking over 34,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 cm, and an estimated 900,000 objects between one and 10 cm, the risk of catastrophic collisions in low-Earth orbit continues to increase. Meanwhile, satellite operators face mounting pressure to comply with end-of-life requirements while simultaneously seeking ways to extend mission durations without increasing propellant mass.

PERSEI’s Electrodynamic Tether (EDT) technology offers a propellant-free approach to deorbiting defunct spacecraft and extending the operational life of active satellites.

“Our EDT technology addresses both challenges with a single elegant solution,” explains PERSEI’s technical team. “The same system that can deorbit satellites at mission completion can also provide propellant-free station-keeping and orbital adjustments during operations.”

The physics is deceptively simple yet profoundly effective. A conductive tether deployed from a spacecraft interacts with Earth’s magnetic field during orbit, creating an electrical circuit between the tether and the surrounding ionospheric plasma.

In deorbiting mode, the system passively generates electrical current as the tether cuts through Earth’s magnetic field. When the tether cuts through Earth’s magnetic field, this creates a Lorentz force that gradually slows the spacecraft, causing its orbit to decay while simultaneously generating electrical power. Essentially, the satellite’s orbital energy converts to electrical energy, creating a self-powered deorbit mechanism.

Perhaps even more impressive is PERSEI’s thrust mode. By using onboard power to drive current through the tether in the opposite direction, the resulting Lorentz force pushes against Earth’s magnetic field, providing thrust that can raise the spacecraft’s orbit or maintain its position — all without consuming a drop of propellant.

This bi-directional capability distinguishes PERSEI’s technology from other deorbit or propulsion systems. A satellite with the EDT system could operate indefinitely in orbit, limited only by other system degradations rather than propellant reserves.

PERSEI has developed three complementary technologies that form its EDT ecosystem: two systems for small and larger satellites, and a mission planning software solution called BETsMA v2.0.

The software enables satellite operators to optimize EDT configurations for specific mission profiles. BETsMA v2.0 processes spacecraft parameters, orbital data, and mission objectives to determine optimal tether specifications and project performance outcomes.

PERSEI’s documentation states, “BETsMA provides comprehensive analysis capabilities for EDT mission planning. The software can simulate three different electrodynamic tether types using various dynamic models to accurately predict performance across mission scenarios.”

The software generates detailed projections of orbital evolution, electrical parameters, force calculations, and thermal behavior, giving mission planners the confidence to implement EDT technology for operational missions.

For larger spacecraft and debris objects, PERSEI has developed PEARSON, a 20 kg autonomous system designed to attach to and control the orbital decay of satellites, spent rocket stages, and other large orbital debris.

Illustration of an electrodynamic tether device attached to a satellite. (Credit: E.T.PACK)

This compact 12U system packages PERSEI’s EDT technology into a self-contained unit deployed to specific high-risk debris objects or integrated into new spacecraft designs. Once activated, PEARSON deploys its electrodynamic tether and initiates either a controlled deorbit sequence or provides reboost capabilities.

“PEARSON has completed component-level qualification testing and is now undergoing system-level integration testing,” according to PERSEI’s technical roadmap. “We’ve scheduled an in-orbit demonstration for 2026, with commercial availability expected the following year.”

What makes PEARSON particularly innovative is its dual-purpose functionality. Traditional debris removal concepts face significant challenges related to propellant requirements for rendezvous, attachment, and deorbit maneuvers. PEARSON’s propellant-free approach offers a more mass-efficient solution with substantially lower operational costs.

Completing PERSEI’s product lineup is GMM, a compact propulsion solution designed explicitly for small satellites, which typically face severe constraints on mass and volume available for propulsion systems.

With a mass less than five kilograms and occupying just 3U of volume, GMM integrates a short spinning electrodynamic tether with an expellant-less cathode to provide propulsive operational maneuvering and end-of-life disposal capabilities.

“Small satellites represent the fastest-growing segment of the space market, but they often lack effective propulsion,” explains PERSEI’s technical documentation. “GMM provides these satellites with operational mobility and responsible end-of-life disposal capabilities without the mass penalties of conventional propulsion.”

The system includes collision avoidance capabilities and tether reel-in/reel-out functionality, allowing for active control of propulsive force as mission requirements evolve. With prototype testing underway, PERSEI is developing GMM’s critical technologies through the E.T.PACK Initiative’s E.T.COMPACT project, funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC).

The performance advantages of EDT technology become particularly evident in long-duration missions. Analysis shows that for a five-year mission requiring periodic orbital maintenance, an EDT system can reduce overall spacecraft mass by 40 to 60% compared to conventional chemical propulsion by eliminating propellant requirements.

Compared to electric propulsion systems, which offer higher efficiency than chemical rockets but still consume propellant, EDT technology provides 20 to 30% mass savings while removing the need for xenon or other propellant storage and management systems.

For deorbiting applications, a 5 km bare tether operating in typical LEO conditions can reduce orbital altitude by two to seven kilometers per day without consuming propellant. This provides a predictable and controlled end-of-life disposal option for satellite operators facing increasingly strict space debris mitigation requirements.

Illustration of an electrodynamic tether deorbit device. (Credit: E.T.PACK)

PERSEI’s engineers have methodically addressed several key technical challenges that limited previous EDT implementations. Reliable tether deployment, tether survivability in the harsh space environment, and efficient electron collection/emission have been primary areas of development.

“The tether deployment system is critical to mission success,” notes PERSEI’s technical documentation. “We’ve developed a mechanism that ensures controlled release while preventing tangling or jamming — common failure points in previous tether missions.”

PERSEI uses a multi-strand conductive tether design to address survivability concerns, providing redundancy against micrometeoroid impacts and other potential damage sources. The design incorporates bare and insulated sections to optimize electron collection while maintaining structural integrity.

The scheduled in-orbit demonstration in 2026 represents a critical milestone, moving from laboratory and ground testing to operational space conditions. If successful, the 2027 commercial service commencement would position PERSEI at the forefront of propellant-free propulsion providers.

“We’re not just developing a new propulsion system,” concludes PERSEI’s documentation. “We’re creating a technology that could help ensure sustainable access to space for future generations by cleaning up existing debris and preventing the creation of new debris through extended satellite operations.”

With the growing focus on space sustainability and increasing regulatory pressure for responsible end-of-life management, PERSEI’s dual-purpose EDT technology offers a compelling solution for the space industry’s evolving needs — addressing both the debris crisis and propulsion limitations with a single integrated approach that could transform how we operate in Earth orbit for decades to come.

(Lead image: Illustration of PERSEI Space’s electrodynamic tether deorbit device in action. Credit: PERSEI Space)

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