British Startup Magdrive Created Satellite That Could Eats Space Junk for Fuel

The Magdrive satellite is a spacecraft that relies on scrap metal for fuel, and its usage might help clean up the remains of dead satellites in space. The propulsion system of the satellite, Warlock, used method of power generation is unlike any other satellite in orbit today.

The Magdrive Satellite Hopes To Clean Up Space While In Orbit

Magdrive is a British startup that claims to have developed a new satellite propulsion system, Warlock, that is claimed to be more efficient and can solve one of the space sustainability problems.

Speaking of this first issue, Magdrive founder Mark Stokes says that “Chemical propulsion has very high thrust, but its efficiency” is poor. That’s why Magdrive has developed a propulsion system that ionizes solid metals instead of pressurized gas like other satellite propulsion systems.

The British startup hopes to balance efficiency with power output.

“We’re building the first system of its kind that has the best of both worlds,” Mark Stokes said. “It is electric propulsion, but it has a magnitude improvement in thrust, with a magnitude reduction in volume and mass.”

For now, the system is not refuelable. However, the startup hopes that they can use these waste metals in space to power this new electric propulsion system in the future. Stokes believes the system could obtain its fuel from existing space junk, by harvesting dead satellites for metal to use as propellant.

Benefits Of The New Magdrive Satellite Propulsion System

Some of the benefits that this new propulsion system will bring once in use are better efficiency and clearing up junk from space. Also, it will reduce the amount of weight during launch since it won’t need a propellant.

Stokes adds that another benefit of this system is to “close the loop on the new space age economy by using resources which are already there.” These resources are metals and possibly scrap metals in space, which it’ll use to generate more energy to stay in orbit.

However, capturing and securing dead satellites in space isn’t as simple. MinKwan Kim, an associate professor in astronautics at the University of Southampton, points out that “decommissioned satellites are uncontrollable and often tumbling, making retrieval extremely difficult.”

The British startup aims to display a working prototype of this electric propulsion system in June 2025.