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Thales Alenia Space is partnering with Italian startup Miprons to develop a satellite propulsion system that uses water as fuel. Miprons, based in Rome, has a proprietary technology for a thruster that uses an electrolysis process to break water down into hydrogen and oxygen, which are fed into the combustion chamber. 

Under the agreement announced Wednesday, Thales Alenia Space plans to guide thruster development to achieve a reliable, high-performance propulsion solution for small and medium satellites. Thales Alenia Space in Italy will support environmental testing of the engineering model.

“It’s truly a privilege to earn the trust of one of the world’s largest space companies. Our project, although still in its early stages, clearly has the potential to define a new paradigm in space, and we will do everything we can to have the system up and running as soon as possible,” commented Miprons CEO and Founder Angelo Minotti.

This agreement is part of a broader strategy by Thales to engage with startup space companies.