Our 0.1 N ASCENT monopropellant thruster has transitioned from a laboratory prototype to a flight-proven workhorse. Four thrusters are currently installed on NASA’s Lunar Flashlight spacecraft (launched December 2022), and one more on NASA’s Green Propellant Dual Mode (GPDM) spacecraft (launch October 2025).

We have already qualified the thruster for both constant pressure and pressure blowdown operation (16.5–2 bar), accumulating over 3 kg of propellant throughput, more than 17 hours of cumulative firing time, and over 65,000 individual pulses during qualification testing. This data fully validates the thruster’s reliability and robustness for extended in-space missions.

From a strategic standpoint, this flight heritage and qualification pedigree represent a critical competitive advantage for Rubicon. Being one of only two ASCENT-based thrusters with demonstrable on-orbit performance, the 0.1 N unit underpins current NASA and commercial contracts while instilling confidence in prospective customers across both government and private sectors.

As the 0.1 N thruster continues its success story, we leverage this proven platform to drive our product line roadmap forward, and strengthen Rubicon’s brand as a leader in high performance chemical propulsion.