Phase Four Announces its New Maxwell Block 3 Plasma Propulsion Thruster

Phase Four Announces its New Maxwell Block 3 Plasma Propulsion Thruster

Phase Four, the creator of the radio-frequency thruster for satellite propulsion, announced its highly anticipated Maxwell Block 3 turn-key plasma propulsion thruster. The Maxwell Block 3 offers satellite manufacturers performance that exceeds Hall Effect Thrusters when operated with krypton, a first for any electrodeless thruster. 

Maxwell Block 3's innovative architecture builds on the flight heritage of Maxwell Block 1 and Block 2 thrusters with significantly improved performance and is now available for orders with deliveries scheduled in the first quarter of the Calendar Year 2024.

Over the last seven years, electrodeless thrusters have gone from an academic exercise to a flight-qualified, high-performance electric propulsion solution, largely due to the tireless work of the team at Phase Four. Maxwell Block 3 represents this next step for satellite electric propulsion.

Maxwell Block 3 uniquely offers a significantly shorter lead time and lower price point over legacy plasma propulsion systems. The systems will be produced at Phase Four's new state-of-the-art, 25,000 ft2 facility in Hawthorne, California. This technological leap, when coupled with Phase Four's production capacity, provides satellite manufacturers with the performance, reliability, and availability that the industrialization of Space demands.

Designed with adaptability in mind, the Maxwell Block 3 features a sleek, modular design that seamlessly fits into a wide variety of satellite bus configurations, alleviating compatibility concerns. Recognizing the unique demands of each space mission, Maxwell Block 3 is engineered to accommodate any size or shape of commercially available propellant tanks, providing exceptional flexibility. This empowers our customers to tailor the thruster precisely to mission requirements, ensuring peak efficiency and optimum use of resources.

Phase Four's Maxwell Block 3 thruster is a revolutionary advancement that establishes an unrivaled benchmark in satellite propulsion technology. With orders now open for delivery in the first quarter of the Calendar Year 2024, seize the opportunity to make a leap in your satellite propulsion system performance and take your missions to unprecedented heights.

Click here to learn more about Phase Four Thrusters listed on the SATNow.

Click here to learn more about Maxwell Block 3 Thruster System.

Publisher: SatNow

GNSS Constellations - A list of all GNSS satellites by constellations

beidou

Satellite NameOrbit Date
BeiDou-3 G4Geostationary Orbit (GEO)17 May, 2023
BeiDou-3 G2Geostationary Orbit (GEO)09 Mar, 2020
Compass-IGSO7Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)09 Feb, 2020
BeiDou-3 M19Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M20Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M21Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M22Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 I3Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M23Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019
BeiDou-3 M24Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019

galileo

Satellite NameOrbit Date
GSAT0223MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0224MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0219MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0220MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0221MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0222MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0215MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0216MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0217MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0218MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017

glonass

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Kosmos 2569--07 Aug, 2023
Kosmos 2564--28 Nov, 2022
Kosmos 2559--10 Oct, 2022
Kosmos 2557--07 Jul, 2022
Kosmos 2547--25 Oct, 2020
Kosmos 2545--16 Mar, 2020
Kosmos 2544--11 Dec, 2019
Kosmos 2534--27 May, 2019
Kosmos 2529--03 Nov, 2018
Kosmos 2527--16 Jun, 2018

gps

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Navstar 82Medium Earth Orbit19 Jan, 2023
Navstar 81Medium Earth Orbit17 Jun, 2021
Navstar 78Medium Earth Orbit22 Aug, 2019
Navstar 77Medium Earth Orbit23 Dec, 2018
Navstar 76Medium Earth Orbit05 Feb, 2016
Navstar 75Medium Earth Orbit31 Oct, 2015
Navstar 74Medium Earth Orbit15 Jul, 2015
Navstar 73Medium Earth Orbit25 Mar, 2015
Navstar 72Medium Earth Orbit29 Oct, 2014
Navstar 71Medium Earth Orbit02 Aug, 2014

irnss

Satellite NameOrbit Date
NVS-01Geostationary Orbit (GEO)29 May, 2023
IRNSS-1IInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)12 Apr, 2018
IRNSS-1HSub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO)31 Aug, 2017
IRNSS-1GGeostationary Orbit (GEO)28 Apr, 2016
IRNSS-1FGeostationary Orbit (GEO)10 Mar, 2016
IRNSS-1EGeosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)20 Jan, 2016
IRNSS-1DInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)28 Mar, 2015
IRNSS-1CGeostationary Orbit (GEO)16 Oct, 2014
IRNSS-1BInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Apr, 2014
IRNSS-1AInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)01 Jul, 2013