PBR-20 (water vapor thruster)

Vendor profile

Overview

PBR-20 (Water-based Resistojet Thruster) is a miniaturized water vapor propulsion system in a 1U form factor, optimal for 6U-8U cubesats. It is a fully integrated system that incorporates thruster head, fluidics, electronics and propellant tank, and is clusterable to meet a wide range of spacecraft sizes.

The PBR-20 uses water as propellant and does not require a high-pressure storage. The propellant is preloaded to the tank prior to delivery from factory so that satellite integrators would not have to deal with complex fueling work.

The propulsion system first operated in low earth orbit in March 2023 and confirmed the soundness by operating again in January 2025 onboard Sony's first satellite, "EYE."

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Overview

Name: PBR-20 (water vapor thruster)
Vendor: Pale Blue
Subsystem: Propulsion Subsystem
Component Type: Electric Propulsion System
Form Factor: All
Heritage: Yes

Details

Envelope: 1 U
Nominal Thrust: 1 mN
Total Impulse: 220 Ns
Wet Mass: < 1.5 kg

Vendor Details

Name: Pale Blue
Website: https://pale-blue.co.jp/
Founded: 2020
Summary: Pale Blue develops and manufactures propulsion systems for small satellites, serving satellite integrators and operators worldwide. Since its founding in 2020, Pale Blue has successfully achieved in-orbit operations of water-based propulsion systems a number of times, providing highly reliable solutions. While further expanding its product offering through R&D and in-orbit demonstrations, Pale Blue is also strengthening production capabilities to meet the growing demand for propulsion systems. Pale Blue is committed to creating mobility that is core to the space industry, driving the next generation of space development.