Pale Blue expands partnerships in Asia to supply water-based propulsion systems for Yonsei University

Aug. 7, 2023

Pale Blue is pleased to announce it was awarded a new contract with Yonsei University in South Korea to provide the Resistojet (0.5U-sized water vapor) propulsion system for a pair of 6U* satellites. The propulsion system will be used to do formation flying for a laser crosslink system between the two nanosatellites in LEO and conduct optical communication between the two satellites.

The laser crosslink payload employs a deployable optical telescope in order to compensate for the compact bus capability of a typical CubeSat platform. With this novel design, a stable communication link can be achieved at a distance of up to 1000 km. The proposed data rate is at least 1 Gbps, which is a challenging objective given the efficient and low-cost nature of the systems.

“We are thrilled to work together with Pale Blue on this project. Our mission aims for demonstrating cutting-edge laser communication, with orbital maneuvering and formation-keeping playing a central role,” said Sang-Young Park, Professor, Dept. of Astronomy at Yonsei University. “These thrusters perfectly meet our requirements and offer the advantage of being not only environmentally friendly, but also free from regulatory constraints. We look forward to continuing this successful collaboration in our future missions.”

“I am truly grateful for this opportunity to cooperate with Yonsei University on their project,” said Jun Asakawa, CEO and Co-Founder of Pale Blue. “I am sure our water-based thrusters can contribute to the satellite’s formation control and establishment of their outstanding communication technology.

We are honored to be selected, and continue to support Yonsei University going forward.”

Asia is the capital of the rapidly growing space industry, and Pale Blue aims to boost the presence in this region as well as contribute to the development of space technologies. Throughout collaboration with Yonsei University, Pale Blue will expand the business by strengthening partnerships in Asia. The company will create mobility capabilities that are core to the space industry while providing the water-based propulsion systems to the global market.