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Magdrive’s Plasma Thruster Proves Its Mettle in First Orbital Test

Magdrive’s Rogue plasma thruster completed its first orbital firing test, demonstrating that a sliver of copper or aluminum can serve as propellant. The 3‑kg unit stores up to 10 kJ in commercial supercapacitors and discharges up to 200 W to create plasma bursts delivering tens of milli‑Newtons of thrust. Unlike conventional ion thrusters that rely on xenon gas, the metal‑fuel design promises higher efficiency and the possibility of in‑space refueling from debris or mined resources. The successful end‑to‑end test paves the way for further hardware tweaks and future demonstration flights.