Pulsar Fusion wins support from ESA
Image courtesy Pulsar Fusion
The investment also follows recent confirmation that US-based Momentus Inc. will be performing a demonstration mission showcasing Pulsar’s advanced Hall-Effect Thruster (HET) technology, scheduled for launch in late 2026.
Hall-Effect Thrusters are a type of plasma engine that propel satellites and spacecraft without traditional fuel - instead, they electrically ionise a gas and accelerate it to produce a precise, continuous thrust.
The contract strengthens the UK’s role in Europe’s in-orbit propulsion ecosystem and should open up further procurement opportunities for British firms specialising in space technologies.
It places Pulsar firmly on NASA’s radar and means British technology could be set to power future space missions from both the EU and USA.
Pulsar Fusion is at the cutting edge of advances in propulsion with one of its prototype rockets currently awaiting launch from Space X in the US. Blast off is scheduled in the first three months of 2026.
Now this new contract will allow the company, which is headed up by CEO Richard Dinan, to further develop its technology with a pathway opening up for future EU funding.
Richard Dinan commented: “ESA’s support is an important endorsement of Pulsar Fusion’s growing capabilities in advanced propulsion. This collaboration reflects our shared ambition to deliver cleaner, more efficient technologies that enable sustainable operations in space.”
With launch costs falling and the emergence of Elon Musk’s Space X and Jeff Bezos Blue Origin programme making headlines, rockets and launches have been big news over the past couple of years.
However, in-orbit propulsion systems are currently where researchers are focusing in a bid to make exploration deeper into our solar system and beyond a reality.
The award of €500,000 to help fund further research and development in Bletchley is being seen as an endorsement from the ESA.
Dr James Lambert, Head of Operations at Pulsar Fusion, said: “This contract marks a key milestone for Pulsar Fusion and for UK electric propulsion. Working with ESA under the GSTP framework enables us to validate our 500W Hall-Effect Thruster in relevant conditions, building confidence in the technology as we move toward flight demonstration and commercial application.”
The award is co-funded via the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and plugs a UK startup into Europe’s in-orbit mobility supply chain, which is exactly where sovereignty concerns have been rising.
Earlier this month, the House of Lords UK Engagement and Space Committee released a report noting how the UK has a host of innovative space start-ups, but many are unable to access the capital they need.
The report also notes how the UK economy is heavily reliant on space, with 18% of GDP underpinned by satellite services.
Having successfully secured financial backing, and drawing interest from all three major western space powers in UKSA, ESA and NASA - who visited Pulsar in September, Pulsar’s Hall-Effect Thruster technology puts it at the forefront of British innovation.
In what was once niche technology, it is becoming the industrial backbone of space operations and is now the default propulsion system for most modern satellites including SpaceX Starlink and Amazon Kuiper.
The electric propulsion market is forecast to exceed $1.5 billion by 2033. At a moment when global demand for next-generation space engines is rising sharply, Pulsar represents the UK’s leading opportunity to establish a sovereign propulsion capability with meaningful relevance to Europe’s and America’s in-orbit mobility supply chains.
