KREIOS SPACE TO VALIDATE VLEO AIR-BREATHING PROPULSION VIA NANOAVIONICS

# VLEO: The New Frontier

Spanish aerospace startup Kreios Space has finalized an agreement with Kongsberg NanoAvionics to conduct an in-orbit demonstration of its Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) system. According to SpaceNews, the mission will utilize a customized MP42 microsatellite bus to test the viability of sustained operations in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO).

The Propellant Problem

Operating at altitudes near 200 kilometers presents a significant challenge: atmospheric drag. Traditional electric propulsion requires heavy propellant reserves to maintain altitude, often rendering low-orbit missions commercially unviable due to mass constraints or limited lifespans.

Kreios’ ABEP technology solves this by harvesting atmospheric gases—primarily oxygen and nitrogen—and converting them into plasma. This creates continuous thrust without the need for onboard fuel, potentially allowing satellites to operate at 200 kilometers for the same cost as a standard 500-kilometer mission.

Mission Architecture

NanoAvionics will be responsible for bus customization, integration of an unidentified optical payload, and system commissioning. Once operational, the satellite will:
Validate ABEP thrust performance.
Collect environmental data.
* Capture sub-meter resolution imagery in visible and near-infrared spectra.

Strategic Roadmap

Founded in 2021 by graduates of the Polytechnic School of Catalonia, Kreios recently secured €8 million in seed funding and a spot in NATO’s DIANA accelerator. While CEO Adrián Senar declined to confirm a specific launch window, company documentation points to a primary mission in 2027, followed by a second flight in 2028. This move places Kreios in direct competition with international ABEP developers like Viridian Space and the ESA Propulsion Laboratory.