ThermaSat Technology Receives Supplemental Funding – Phase II National Science Foundation Award

Howe Industries, the parent company of ThermaSat Inc, has received a roughly $200k Technology Enhancement for Commercial Partnerships (TECP) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to supplement its ongoing Phase II SBIR program.  This supplement to the nearly $1M Phase II award, commercializes the ThermaSat propulsion system through an industry partner.

ThermaSat:

ThermaSat was formed because of commercial interest in the ThermaSat propulsion system being developed by Howe Industries LLC under the Phase I and Phase II SBIR NSF award. We develop in-space mobility, focusing on “green” propellant and reusability, In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Maintenance (ISAM) solutions.  The ThermaSat propulsion system uses a thermal capacitor and phase change material to rapidly expand water into a superheated jet of steam allowing satellites to move in space. This system utilizes water as a “green” propellant which is safe to handle and integrate posing limited risks to ground crews and other satellites compared to traditional toxic and high-pressure propellants.

In early 2022 Howe Industries accelerated the development of the ThermaSat propulsion system with the help of a Phase II grant from the NSF at their Scottsdale facility. Howe Industries is partnering with Orbital Transports Inc for the TECP award. Orbital Transports is a space logistics provider and general contractor for space missions providing end-to-end program services, systems engineering, and coordination of supply chain partners. The two companies work together to develop a commercial version of the ThermaSat propulsion system for the CubeSat form factor.