Latest news with #propulsion
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- General
- Gizmodo
NASA Switches to Backup Fuel Line After Psyche Thruster Glitch
Less than two years after launch, NASA's Psyche spacecraft experienced a glitch in its propulsion system that's now jeopardizing its mission to explore a unique metallic asteroid in the main belt. NASA engineers, ever resourceful, implemented a fix for the spacecraft's unexpected drop in pressure by switching to a backup line—one they hope will help Psyche reach its namesake asteroid. Earlier in April, the team of engineers with the Psyche mission detected an unexpected decrease in fuel pressure in the spacecraft's propulsion system. The issue needed to be resolved before mid-June, otherwise it would have affected the spacecraft's trajectory towards the Psyche asteroid. After investigating, the team recently switched from the primary propellant line to a backup that NASA says is identical. The Psyche spacecraft remains on course to rendezvous with the asteroid in August 2029. Psyche's thrusters, powered by two large solar arrays, ionize and expel xenon gas to gently propel the spacecraft, according to NASA. The spacecraft began firing its thrusters in May 2024, but just over a year later, engineers detected a pressure drop in the line that delivers xenon gas to the thrusters—from 36 pounds per square inch (psi) to about 26 psi, according to NASA. After the sudden drop in pressure, the team paused the four electric thrusters as they investigated the issue. NASA's engineers ran extensive tests and diagnostic work and found that a part inside one of the valves, which opens and closes to manage the flow of propellant, stopped functioning the way it was designed to. As a result, the glitchy valve was obstructing the flow of xenon to the thrusters. The team then switched to the backup fuel line and will command the spacecraft's thrusters to resume firing by mid-June. The mission's engineers will keep the backup line's valve in the open position to 'ensure propellant flow and avoid any potential mechanical issues in the future,' NASA wrote. The mission is scheduled for a Mars flyby in spring 2026, using the planet's gravity to slingshot the spacecraft toward the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. If all goes well, the spacecraft will enter asteroid Psyche's orbit in late July 2029 and begin its mission in August of the same year. Psyche launched in October 2023, beginning a 2.2 billion-mile journey to a metal-rich asteroid located in the main belt. Its journey has been a long time in the making, and had run into issues even before its liftoff. The mission was originally scheduled to launch in 2022, but an issue with the spacecraft's flight software delayed the mission until its next launch window the next year. The spacecraft's flight software controls its orientation and trajectory, as well as its ability to send and receive data to Earth. A week before its original launch date on October 5, 2023, engineers discovered an issue with the Psyche spacecraft's thrusters that could have caused it to overheat during its eight-year mission. As a result, the mission's liftoff date was delayed by one week as the team resolved the issue. Psyche is a 140-mile-wide (226-kilometer) asteroid that may be the stripped-down core of a shattered planetesimal, one of the building blocks that come together to form a planet. If the mission manages to reach the asteroid, it will become the first to explore an asteroid of its kind. We're rooting for you, Psyche.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
For Leaders Who Thought It Would Be Easier—The Other Press Release…
We do this not because it is easy, but because we thought it would be easy We don't do this because it's easy. We do this because we thought it would be easy. That line came to me in a meme from a colleague at Venus during one of the hardest stretches of my time on the leadership team at Venus Aerospace, a company developing reusable hypersonic aircraft designed to fly you across the Pacific in under two hours. I now serve as an advisor to the company, but back then I was deep in the day-to-day: capital uncertainty, shifting priorities, and scenario planning for what felt like the 14th time. No one signs up for a moonshot to argue over budget spreadsheets. They join to build. But that week, belief felt like the scarcest resource of all. I remembered that meme again last week, when Venus completed a historic flight test of its Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE), becoming the first U.S. company—and perhaps the first in the world—to prove this next-gen propulsion system in the air. It made international headlines. A huge technical win. Rightfully celebrated. But for those of us who've been inside the effort, it didn't feel like a singular moment of triumph. It felt like a quiet exhale shared between people who had endured who had endured the technical gauntlet—and the emotional one—and held on when it would've been easier not to. The technology is brutally hard. But trying to build something unprecedented—without breaking the people building it—adds a second, quieter layer of difficulty. Everyone knows this kind of work is difficult. But we still misunderstand where the difficulty lies. We assume the challenge is technical complexity. But in reality, it's the emotional and relational toll of doing something under pressure, without precedent, and with limited room for error. That misunderstanding doesn't just distort expectations. It makes success more rare—because it causes people to give up too soon. Here's what I've learned about what actually makes hard things hard. At a startup doing something new, nothing is established. Not just the product—the roles, the systems, the culture—it's all being built in real time. That ambiguity can fuel creativity, but it can also drain morale. Decisions that would be defaults in a mature company become full-blown debates. Passionate people burn out solving problems they weren't hired for. Curt Steinhorst as a Venus Executive Leader A colleague on the executive team once said: 'The definition of great work is solving difficult problems with non-difficult people.' But when the problem is hard enough, even the best people become difficult—not because they're wrong, but because it's costing them. That's when story becomes your most important leadership tool. When belief starts to fray, the story you tell—about what you're doing and why—either sustains you or breaks you. It doesn't mean ignoring reality. But it does mean guarding attention. Because attention is social. And if 'this is broken' becomes the dominant narrative, it doesn't just describe the problem—it magnifies it. Leadership in those moments means choosing what not to amplify. In a company growing fast and flying blind, every stage demands new skills. And usually, no one is fully ready—including the leaders. Some thrive in early chaos but stall when structure is needed. Others bring polish but struggle without resources. If you lead too far ahead, you build what you can't afford. If you lead from behind, you stall progress. You have to do two things at once: This is especially true for founders. Yes, they enter rooms few ever access. But they also carry the weight. People expect them to believe harder, fix faster, and stay composed—while learning on the fly. Sometimes that means firing friends. Sometimes it means ignoring well-meaning advice. Sometimes it just means showing up—again—when you're not sure you're enough. One of Venus' most strategic breakthroughs wasn't technical—it was logistical. The industry assumes engine testing has to happen in remote areas. But we asked: What if we could test on-site? That single question—born of necessity—let us test faster, cheaper, and more frequently than anyone else. It wasn't genius. It was constraint reimagined. When pressure is unrelenting, what holds people together isn't just shared goals. It's shared humanity. Late nights around the founders' dinner table—debating fantasy novels, defending the brilliance of Highlander—became rituals that sustained us. Jokes from those nights found their way into slide decks. We awarded prizes for the best dad jokes. When one teammate suffered a personal loss, the team rallied with tears and resolve. Often, it wasn't strategy that kept someone from walking away. It was being talked off the ledge by a friend who didn't even like you at first—but who now understood exactly what you were carrying. You play every card you've got. And you just hope you don't run out too soon. Funny enough, this isn't just a story about rocket engines (what an interesting sentence to write, by the way). It's about the human engine behind every breakthrough—and what it really takes to lead through the fog. So yes, we're proud of the technical win. But I'm just as proud of what didn't make the press release: Because the truth is: we didn't really think it would be easy. We just hoped it would be worth it. Turns out, it is. When the world moves faster than most teams can process, the leaders who will matter most aren't just the ones who can think clearly. They're the ones who can stay human—when it would be easier not to.
Entrepreneur
6 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Ahmedabad's Orbitt Space Secures USD 1 Mn Funding Led by pi Ventures
The freshly raised capital will be deployed across three core areas: accelerating product design and engineering, expanding Orbitt's elite team of space scientists and engineers, and conducting rigorous prototype testing to validate their proprietary propulsion and avionics systems. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Orbitt Space, an Ahmedabad-based space-tech startup, has raised USD 1 million in pre-seed funding led by pi Ventures, with participation from IIMA Ventures. This milestone investment will power the company's development of breakthrough air-breathing electric propulsion systems and advanced satellite bus platforms tailored for Ultra Low Earth Orbit (ULEO), a largely untapped orbital zone below 250 km altitude. Founded in early 2025 by ex-ISRO scientists Christopher Parmar (CEO) and Anupam Kumar (CTO), Orbitt Space is on a mission to redefine satellite operations. Drawing from their hands-on experience with high-reliability space systems, the founders aim to solve the critical challenges of high atmospheric drag and limited fuel capacity that have historically prevented long-duration missions in ULEO. The freshly raised capital will be deployed across three core areas: accelerating product design and engineering, expanding Orbitt's elite team of space scientists and engineers, and conducting rigorous prototype testing to validate their proprietary propulsion and avionics systems. "ULEO is the cleanest and most strategic orbit around Earth, yet it has remained inaccessible until now," said Parmar. "Our electric propulsion system will change that, enabling satellites to operate longer missions at low altitudes while delivering advanced imaging and data capabilities without contributing to orbital pollution." Orbitt Space is developing a novel propulsion technology that uses residual atmospheric gases as propellant, eliminating the need for traditional onboard fuel. This fuel-free system, integrated into a 200kg-class agile satellite bus, will empower missions in Earth observation, telecommunications, climate monitoring, surveillance, and scientific research—areas where sharper imaging, low latency, and radiation protection are key advantages of ULEO. Kumar added, "For us, this isn't just about building propulsion systems—it's about reshaping how we access space. Our goal is to redefine global benchmarks for satellite performance, cost, and sustainability." Shubham Sandeep, Managing Director at pi Ventures, said "Orbitt Space is reimagining in-space propulsion by replacing traditional fuel with atmospheric gases. We're thrilled to support their bold vision for a cleaner, more efficient future in spacetech." Currently in the development phase, Orbitt plans to validate its systems with in-orbit demonstrations before launching commercially.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
ACEL Power Signs Strategic Distribution Agreement with En-Syst to Expand Electric Marine Propulsion in Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE, May 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ACEL Power Inc., a Canadian innovator in electric marine propulsion, has entered into a distribution agreement with Singapore-based En-Syst Equipment & Services Pte Ltd. This strategic partnership grants En-Syst distribution rights for Singapore and across select ASEAN markets, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and more. The collaboration marks ACEL Power's formal entry into Southeast Asia's fast-growing marine electrification sector, supporting the region's transition toward zero-emission marine technologies—especially in commercial, transport, and protected waterway segments. Southeast Asia's Electric Marine Moment A region of island with millions relying on short-haul ferries, water taxis, dive boats, and resort shuttles daily, the region represents one of the largest untapped markets for electric propulsion globally. Governments across ASEAN are introducing low-emission maritime zones, while tourism operators, fleet owners, and municipalities are seeking quieter, cleaner, and more efficient vessels. A recent study by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) forecasts that electric propulsion systems could power up to 50% of small to mid-sized vessels in Southeast Asia by 2035, as costs fall and emissions standards tighten. "This partnership with En-Syst is another major milestone for ACEL as we scale globally," said Natasha Chawla, VP of Sales and Marketing at ACEL Power. "With over three decades of experience powering mission-critical infrastructure across APAC, En-Syst is ideally positioned to bring our technology to market and help accelerate the shift to sustainable boating." A Turnkey Solution for the Region En-Syst will distribute ACEL's entire portfolio, the full Intelligent Electric Series, including 50HP, 75HP, 150HP, and 250HP outboards—each part of a high-voltage, fully integrated system combining modular battery packs, digital throttle controls, onboard touchscreen interface, and smart connectivity. The motors deliver up to 95.8% powertrain efficiency, while the high-voltage LFP battery packs feature an expandable architecture that supports seamless system scalability for extended range configurations. Advanced software provides real-time diagnostics, remote monitoring, and performance optimization, delivering a fully intelligent experience for modern marine operations. In addition to outboards, ACEL's offering extends to inboard propulsion systems and ACEL X-tend range extender, gas-and diesel-powered generators for hybrid applications. "We are excited to partner with ACEL Power to bring next-generation marine propulsion to Southeast Asia," said Teo Han Leong, Director of En-Syst. "Our region is ready for a leap forward in digitalization and electrification. From tourism and transport to utility vessels, the demand for cleaner and smarter marine solutions is rapidly growing. ACEL's integrated system provides a reliable, software enabled platform that aligns with what our customers want today—and what regulations will require tomorrow." En-Syst will maintain local inventory, offer installation and technical support, deploy demo boats, and lead OEM activations and regional trade show initiatives to grow dealer and customer adoption. About ACEL Power ACEL Power, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, is a pioneering manufacturer of electric outboard propulsion systems, leading the marine industry in innovation and sustainability. Noted for introducing the world's first mass-produced 50 and 75HP electric motors, ACEL Power is committed to shaping a sustainable future through the creation of a smart electric eco-system. With a forward-looking vision, ACEL aims to offer a comprehensive range from 1HP to 650HP, establishing new benchmarks for marine propulsion in performance, safety, and longevity. Leveraging patented technology and integrated software solutions, ACEL Power is driving change towards a cleaner, more efficient boating more information, visit ACEL's electric outboard motors in action here. About En-Syst En-Syst designs and supplies customized power systems that support mission-critical infrastructure across Asia-Pacific. For more than 30 years, they have powered the industries and businesses that APAC relies on. With scalable solutions ranging from 15 to 4,000 KVA, En-Syst is built for the present and ready for the future. For more information, visit Media Inquiries: ACEL Power Chawla, VP Sales & MarketingEmail: natasha@ En-Syst Equipment & Services Pte Ho Kah Huat, Manager Sales & MarketingEmail: khho@ sales@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE En-Syst Equipment & Services Pte Ltd Sign in to access your portfolio
National Post
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- National Post
ACEL Power Signs Strategic Distribution Agreement with En-Syst to Expand Electric Marine Propulsion in Southeast Asia
Article content VANCOUVER, British Columbia — ACEL Power Inc., a Canadian innovator in electric marine propulsion, has entered into a distribution agreement with Singapore-based En-Syst Equipment & Services Pte Ltd. This strategic partnership grants En-Syst distribution rights for Singapore and across select ASEAN markets, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and more. Article content Article content The collaboration marks ACEL Power's formal entry into Southeast Asia's fast-growing marine electrification sector, supporting the region's transition toward zero-emission marine technologies—especially in commercial, transport, and protected waterway segments. Article content Southeast Asia's Electric Marine Moment Article content A region of islands with millions relying on short-haul ferries, water taxis, dive boats, and resort shuttles daily, the region represents one of the largest untapped markets for electric propulsion globally. Governments across ASEAN are introducing low-emission maritime zones, while tourism operators, fleet owners, and municipalities are seeking quieter, cleaner, and more efficient vessels. Article content A recent study by the International Renewable Energy Agency ( IRENA) forecasts that electric propulsion systems could power up to 50% of small to mid-sized vessels in Southeast Asia by 2035, as costs fall and emissions standards tighten. Article content 'This partnership with En-Syst is another major milestone for ACEL as we scale globally,' said Natasha Chawla, VP of Sales and Marketing at ACEL Power. 'With over three decades of experience powering mission-critical infrastructure across APAC, En-Syst is ideally positioned to bring our technology to market and help accelerate the shift to sustainable boating.' Article content En-Syst will distribute ACEL's entire portfolio, the full Intelligent Electric Series, including 50HP, 75HP, 150HP, and 250HP outboards—each part of a high-voltage, fully integrated system combining modular battery packs, digital throttle controls, onboard touchscreen interface, and smart connectivity. The motors deliver up to 95.8% powertrain efficiency, while the high-voltage LFP battery packs feature an expandable architecture that supports seamless system scalability for extended range configurations. Advanced software provides real-time diagnostics, remote monitoring, and performance optimization, delivering a fully intelligent experience for modern marine operations. Article content In addition to outboards, ACEL's offering extends to inboard propulsion systems and ACEL X-tend range extender, gas- and diesel-powered generators for hybrid applications. Article content 'We are excited to partner with ACEL Power to bring next-generation marine propulsion to Southeast Asia,' said Teo Han Leong, Director of En-Syst. 'Our region is ready for a leap forward in digitalization and electrification. From tourism and transport to utility vessels, the demand for cleaner and smarter marine solutions is rapidly growing. ACEL's integrated system provides a reliable, software enabled platform that aligns with what our customers want today—and what regulations will require tomorrow.' Article content En-Syst will maintain local inventory, offer installation and technical support, deploy demo boats, and lead OEM activations and regional trade show initiatives to grow dealer and customer adoption. Article content About ACEL Power Article content ACEL Power, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, is a pioneering manufacturer of electric outboard propulsion systems, leading the marine industry in innovation and sustainability. Noted for introducing the world's first mass-produced 50 and 75HP electric motors, ACEL Power is committed to shaping a sustainable future through the creation of a smart electric eco-system. With a forward-looking vision, ACEL aims to offer a comprehensive range from 1HP to 650HP, establishing new benchmarks for marine propulsion in performance, safety, and longevity. Leveraging patented technology and integrated software solutions, ACEL Power is driving change towards a cleaner, more efficient boating experience. Article content En-Syst designs and supplies customized power systems that support mission-critical infrastructure across Asia-Pacific. For more than 30 years, they have powered the industries and businesses that APAC relies on. With scalable solutions ranging from 15 to 4,000 KVA, En-Syst is built for the present and ready for the future. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Inquiries: Article content ACEL Power Inc. Natasha Chawla, VP Sales & Marketing Email: natasha@ Article content Article content Article content
