THRUSTME | URANIA

Founders

Ane Anesland, CEO
Dmytro Rafalskyi, CTO

Founded

2017

Location

Paris

Backstory

ThrustMe offers advanced mobility solutions for the growing space industry, which faces new challenges due to the rise of satellite constellations. Founders Dr. Ane Aanesland and Dr. Dmytro Rafalskyi spent many years at top research institutions, honing their expertise in plasma physics and electric propulsion, before sharpening their focus on the challenge of propulsion for miniaturized satellites.

As experts in in-space propulsion and satellite orbital maneuvering strategies, the company enables a future where space is used to sustainably to create value both on Earth and beyond. ThrustMe has a complete portfolio of game-changing and diversified turnkey propulsion products that have already been tested in space and delivered to clients worldwide. The company made history in 2019 and 2020 with the world’s first in-orbit demonstration of iodine-fueled electric propulsion systems: technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the entire industry.

Why we invested

We sat next to Dr Ane Aanesland at a dinner one night and were amazed by how passionately she spoke about the technical challenges of small-scale satellites. Her scientific expertise, methodical mindset, and grasp of complex, multi-sided solutions combined with a missionary zeal to serve convinced us that ThrustMe was going to upend the future of deeptech. ThrustMe is exactly the kind of entrepreneurship we want to foster at Urania Ventures: cutting-edge technology with real-world applications, grounded in the most advanced scientific research. This company will be going far and we are excited to be along for the ride.

thrustme.fr

Learn more

”We had to challenge the fundamentals of physics and engineering and look at the problems in a different way.”

Ane Aanesland

In-orbit demonstration of an iodine electric propulsion system

Propulsion is a critical subsystem of many spacecraft. Here we demonstrate a propulsion system that uses iodine propellant and we present in-orbit results of this new technology. Diatomic iodine is stored as a solid and sublimated at low temperatures.

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