Sustainable propulsion solutions
Sustainable propulsion solutions
The HYDRA hybrid propulsion system is the realisation of URA Thruster’s sustainable propulsion vision; it combines our revolutionary water electrolysis propulsion technology developments in chemical and electrical propulsion into a single system that can address any propulsion needs, as well as significant price, mass and volume decrease.
HYDRA consist of a common water tank and electrolyser. These then feed an electric propulsion thruster, which in HYDRA is a bi-propellant Hall-effect thruster (HET) operating with oxygen at the anode, and hydrogen at the cathode – as well as a bi-propellant chemical thruster (ICE). The system builds upon the building blocks developed in a range of projects and utilises interchangeable families of parts.
HYDRA offers the ability to use electrolysed water propellant for either chemical or electrical propulsion, allowing a dynamically flexible mission plan. This is ideal in the emerging era of space situational awareness where flight paths need to be rapidly adapted to avoid space debris or near misses from mega constellations.
The technology within HYDRA is fully interchangeable, modular, and scalable with the eventual aim of universal compatibility with all propulsion systems made by URA.