Co-Founder - Building high-power plasma propulsion systems
With an exponential increase in satellites in Low Earth Orbit, and a stronger than ever desire to explore other planetary bodies, the need for fast and efficient propulsion technologies is present. Classical chemical rockets used throughout the years offer very high thrust but relatively low specific impulse (aka efficiency), meaning that large amounts of fuel are needed even for small maneuvers. Traditional plasma thrusters such as Hall-effect thrusters or Gridded-ion thrusters offer another uncomfortable trade-off : a very low thrust at the price of a very high specific impulse. They have the advantage of requiring very little propellant, but provide thrust of the order of milliNetwon, which is unusable for many applications.
Thus, there is a strong need to bridge this gap : building a high-thrust and high-specific impulse plasma propulsion system that could revolutionize the way humans and machines evolve in space. By using superconducting magnets to compress plasma before its ejection, Ionic Thrust Systems (ITS) aims to substantially increase ejection mass and velocity.
As an ETH Alumni in physics, I am currently working as a propulsion engineer. I have technical knowledge and industry contacts to bring this project to reality. I am looking for a co-founder with a technical background in mechanical/electrical/applied physics (ideally ETH/EPFL) to join me in this endeavor. The main part of our jobs would be to secure funding through diverse sources and obtain academic and industry partners. Additionally, we would need to build a solid proof of concept through simulation and small models, and try to gain support and validation from the Swiss Plasma Center in order to gain credibility.
This project should have in sight the late September 2025 deadline to register as an ESA BIC startup in order to grow from there.
The location of this startup needs to be discussed, as a physical location will need to be sorted out soon (also the use of large vacuum chambers and complex hardware may make it hard to keep it remote for too long). However, during the building stage, we can work on the startup in different parts of Switzerland and Europe, meeting in person relatively often. I am currently based in London, but will be moving permanently to Switzerland next month.
Feel free to contact me if interested! I am also very much looking forward to exchanging ideas and exploring new paths. You can drop me a line at ionicthrustsystems@gmail.com, on Linkedin or through the messaging app of this platform.
Thus, there is a strong need to bridge this gap : building a high-thrust and high-specific impulse plasma propulsion system that could revolutionize the way humans and machines evolve in space. By using superconducting magnets to compress plasma before its ejection, Ionic Thrust Systems (ITS) aims to substantially increase ejection mass and velocity.
As an ETH Alumni in physics, I am currently working as a propulsion engineer. I have technical knowledge and industry contacts to bring this project to reality. I am looking for a co-founder with a technical background in mechanical/electrical/applied physics (ideally ETH/EPFL) to join me in this endeavor. The main part of our jobs would be to secure funding through diverse sources and obtain academic and industry partners. Additionally, we would need to build a solid proof of concept through simulation and small models, and try to gain support and validation from the Swiss Plasma Center in order to gain credibility.
This project should have in sight the late September 2025 deadline to register as an ESA BIC startup in order to grow from there.
The location of this startup needs to be discussed, as a physical location will need to be sorted out soon (also the use of large vacuum chambers and complex hardware may make it hard to keep it remote for too long). However, during the building stage, we can work on the startup in different parts of Switzerland and Europe, meeting in person relatively often. I am currently based in London, but will be moving permanently to Switzerland next month.
Feel free to contact me if interested! I am also very much looking forward to exchanging ideas and exploring new paths. You can drop me a line at ionicthrustsystems@gmail.com, on Linkedin or through the messaging app of this platform.
Project description
With an exponential increase in satellites in Low Earth Orbit, and a stronger than ever desire to explore the stars, the need for fast and efficient propulsion technologies is there. The classical chemical rockets used throughout the years offer a very high thrust but relatively low specific impulse (aka efficiency). Traditional plasma thrusters such as Hall-effect thruster or Gridded Ion Thrusters offer another uncomfortable trade-off : a very low thrust at the price of a very high specific impulse.There is thus a strong need to bridge this gap : building a high-thrust and high-specific impulse plasma propulsion system which could revolutionize the way humans and machines evolve in space. By using superconducting magnets to compress plasma before its ejection, Ionic Thrust Systems (ITS) aims to substantially increase ejection mass and velocity.
Company name
Ionic Thrust Systems
Company location
Zürich
The new Swiss Venture Capital Report was published on 26 January. It analyses 304 financing rounds closed in 2020 and includes further article such as an interview with Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, and a list of Swiss "soonicorns". 
