Exploring 'very low Earth orbit': The world's 1st air-breathing satellite thruster could soon get a test run

A new way to move around Earth's outer atmosphere could soon get a field test. The Spanish company Kreios Space plans to launch into orbit the world's first satellite that uses scooped-up air to push it forward, the company announced on Tuesday (Aug. 4). The technology Kreios Space has been developing is called air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP). It relies on air sourced from Earth's atmosphere, which is then heated up, ionized and expelled to generate thrust. More

(Source: Space.com - Aug 10)