HiFunda Licenses NASA Small Spacecraft Electric Propulsion Technology Suite to Advance Next-Generation In-Space Propulsion​

May 5, 2025 — Salt Lake City, UT —HiFunda LLC today announced that it has entered into a license agreement with NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC) for the agency’s Small Spacecraft Electric Propulsion (SSEP) Technology Suite (LEW-TOPS-162), a portfolio of low-power, high-throughput Hall effect thruster technologies developed to enable ambitious new small spacecraft missions in deep space.​

The SSEP suite includes the High Propellant Throughput Small Spacecraft Electric Propulsion Thruster (LEW-TOPS-158), a Power Processing Unit for SSEP (LEW-TOPS-157), an Anode Manifold Plug for Hall Effect Thrusters (LEW-TOPS-159), and additional Hall effect technologies (LEW-TOPS-34). The thrusters use NASA’s optimized magnetically shielded (OMS) field topology to deliver propellant throughput capability greater than 120 kg and nominal thruster efficiency above 50%, while dramatically reducing discharge channel and front pole cover erosion compared with conventional Hall thrusters.​

The agreement was executed under NASA’s no-cost, non-exclusive license framework and companion Space Act Agreement, which gives U.S. companies access to a comprehensive package of issued and pending patents, design drawings, materials specifications, and test data. HiFunda will pair these assets with its proprietary expertise in high-temperature ceramics, inorganic composites, and advanced coatings to mature flight-ready thruster hardware optimized for sub-kilowatt small spacecraft platforms.​

“Licensing the SSEP suite extends HiFunda’s high-temperature materials portfolio into a new and rapidly growing market for in-space electric propulsion,” said in a HiFunda’s founder Balky Nair in a statement. “Combining NASA’s game-changing Hall effect thruster designs with our manufacturing know-how positions us to deliver longer-life, higher-throughput propulsion systems for commercial, civil, and defense small spacecraft customers.”​

Under the collaborative commercialization model used by NASA Glenn, HiFunda will work to refine system requirements, contribute to a shared compendium of SSEP knowledge, and accelerate qualification of the technology for upcoming science and exploration missions. The license complements HiFunda’s active portfolio of NASA, DOE, and U.S. Army awards focused on extreme-environment materials and systems.​