The “Going Rogue” mission marks a breakthrough in British space propulsion, backed by the ESA Marketplace and delivered in partnership with D-Orbit.
British satellite propulsion startup Magdrive based at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus and part of Europe’s most concentrated space cluster, is preparing to launch its first in-orbit demonstration mission, “Going Rogue,” a bold step forward for UK-led space capability.
The mission, delivered in partnership with D-Orbit, will test Magdrive’s Rogue thruster, a radically new electric plasma propulsion system that uses solid metal turned into fuel to generate intense bursts of thrust.
With a magnitude improvement in thrust at low mass, it’s fast, efficient, and compact ideal for tasks such as satellite repositioning, deep-space manoeuvres, and real-time collision avoidance.
The “Going Rogue” mission is primarily funded by the ESA Marketplace commercialisation programme, and supported by the UK Space Agency, through multiple funding streams including the Space Cluster Infrastructure Fund (SCIF), the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), and the General Support Technology Programme (GSTP). These programmes are designed to accelerate the UK’s capabilities in space by investing in infrastructure, supporting early-stage innovation, and maturing technologies for future missions. They have been instrumental in helping Magdrive advance from an ambitious concept to launch-ready technology.
Dr. Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said: “The flight of Magdrive’s Rogue thruster will be a critical demonstration of an innovative new propulsion capability. This is a significant opportunity, as there are thousands of satellites set to be launched that will need more flexible and efficient propulsion systems to avoid collisions or perform more complex missions. We’re proud to support companies like Magdrive and the home-grown innovations that push scientific boundaries and deliver benefits for our economy and security.”
With operations in Oxfordshire and Los Angeles, Magdrive was founded in 2020 by CEO Mark Stokes and CTO Dr. Thomas Clayson, combining expertise in plasma physics, pulsed power electronics, and spacecraft engineering. Their flagship product, the Rogue thruster, is built with internal energy storage and delivers up to 10 mN of thrust using only solid metal as propellant.
“By supporting such mission via the ESA Marketplace, we enable rapid and bold companies like Magdrive to grow with the pace required for real innovation.” said Dr. Gianluigi Baldesi of ESA. “In less than a year, we were able to go from project kick-off to launch. This is exactly the kind of accelerated growth and innovation we aim to foster in European companies with the ESA Marketplace.”
“This launch isn’t just about proving our tech, it’s about proving that the UK can lead in space,” said Mark Stokes, CEO and co-founder of Magdrive. “We’ve spent the past four years building something that breaks the mould. Going Rogue is our first real opportunity to show the world what we’ve been working on. And this is just the beginning of many demonstration missions.”
Magdrive operates from the heart of the UK’s space cluster at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, home to over 100 space organisations. Their partnership with D-Orbit enables efficient and flexible in-orbit deployment, accelerating the path from lab to orbit.
The “Going Rogue” mission will collect key data on the thruster’s performance in space, a critical step toward commercial adoption across satellite servicing, debris management, and in-space logistics. Results are expected to be shared in August and September.
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