URA Thrusters

What URA Thrusters does

URA Thrusters Ltd. is a UK-based private space-propulsion company founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Spain's AVS Group, with registered offices in Oxford and primary operations at Westcott Venture Park in Aylesbury. The company designs and manufactures water-based propulsion systems for spacecraft, targeting satellite operators, constellation operators, and spacecraft manufacturers across small-sat (CubeSat/SmallSat) and large GEO telecom platforms. Its portfolio comprises four product families unified by water as the primary propellant: HET (Hall-effect thrusters using water vapor or gaseous oxygen), ICE (Iridium Catalysed Electrolysis combining water electrolysis with hydrogen-oxygen catalytic combustion in a MEMS-manufactured thruster), MET/AQUAMET (water-fuelled Microwave Electrothermal Thrusters), and HYDRA (a hybrid chemical-electrical propulsion system sharing a common feed, tank, and electrolyser).

The business model is direct B2B sales of tailored, modular propulsion hardware to spacecraft manufacturers and satellite operators, with pricing provided via custom quotation rather than public list pricing. Revenue is generated through hardware sales, supplemented by grant funding such as the £5.8 million awarded by the UK Space Agency toward the £20 million Westcott Space Hub facility, where URA is an anchor tenant. Distribution is global in scope but currently concentrated in EMEA, and the company markets primarily through direct enterprise sales, industry conferences (Space Propulsion Conference, International Electric Propulsion Conference), and LinkedIn. The company is led by founder and CEO Alberto Garbayo and operates with 11–50 employees.

Name

URA Thrusters

Legal name

URA Thrusters Ltd.

Website

https://urathrusters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

URA Thrusters is a UK private space-propulsion company, founded 2019 as an AVS Group spin-off, that designs and sells water-based electric and chemical propulsion systems (HET, ICE, MET, HYDRA) to satellite operators and spacecraft manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Propulsion Systems

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid Rocket Engines (IMABADAG), Nozzles, Thrust Vectoring & Exhaust Systems (IMABADAL)

Keywords

• Electric propulsion systems
• Water-based thrusters
• Spacecraft propulsion
• Satellite propulsion systems
• Green propulsion technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Aylesbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Propulsion Systems Sales: URA Thrusters generates revenue through the sale of proprietary water-based propulsion systems (HET, ICE, MET, HYDRA) to spacecraft manufacturers and satellite operators. Systems are tailored to customer requirements with modular components.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

URA Thrusters develops and manufactures water-based propulsion systems for spacecraft, spanning CubeSats to large GEO platforms. The product portfolio includes four distinct propulsion technologies—HET (Hall-effect Thrusters), ICE (Iridium Catalysed Electrolysis), MET (Microwave Electrothermal Thrusters), and HYDRA (Hybrid Propulsion System)—all unified by the use of water as a green, low-cost propellant to replace toxic hydrazine and expensive noble gases such as xenon and krypton.

Product overview

URA Thrusters is a one-stop shop for sustainable propulsion solutions across a broad spectrum of spacecraft sizes and platforms, from CubeSats to SmallSats to large GEO platforms. The product portfolio consists of four distinct propulsion systems unified by water-based technology: HET (Hall-effect Thrusters) for high-efficiency electric propulsion; ICE (Iridium Catalysed Electrolysis) for high-thrust chemical propulsion via water electrolysis; MET (Microwave Electrothermal Thrusters) for propellant-agnostic electrothermal propulsion; and HYDRA, a hybrid system combining chemical and electrical propulsion modes. All products leverage water as the primary propellant to reduce costs and eliminate toxic fuels like hydrazine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HET (Hall-effect Thrusters) Hall-effect thrusters using water vapour or gaseous oxygen as propellants, offered as an alternative to xenon- or krypton-based systems. Provide order-of-magnitude cost reductions and enable longer, more diverse mission profiles through higher specific impulse at lower power. Designed for satellite manufacturers and operators across platform sizes.
• ICE (Iridium Catalysed Electrolysis) Propulsion system combining water electrolysis and hydrogen-oxygen catalytic combustion within a MEMS-manufactured thruster, delivering mass, volume, and cost reductions versus state-of-the-art alternatives, with performance exceeding that of hydrazine systems. Targeted at spacecraft manufacturers needing compact, high-thrust chemical propulsion.
• MET (Microwave Electrothermal Thrusters) Microwave electrothermal thrusters creating a free-floating plasma discharge in a cylindrical cavity resonator to efficiently heat a wide range of propellants (water, ammonia, argon, xenon, krypton, CO2), with high thrust-to-power ratio and scalability from low to high power. Suited to spacecraft needing propellant flexibility and high specific impulse.
• HYDRA (Hybrid Propulsion System) Electrolysed-water hybrid chemical-electrical propulsion system combining a high-thrust chemical bipropellant engine with a high-specific-impulse Hall-effect thruster, linked by a common feed system, tank, and electrolyser. Provides dynamically flexible mission plans and large mass/volume savings compared to using two distinct systems. Targeted at operators needing versatile, sustainable propulsion across mission phases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to one-third cost reduction in propulsion system costs compared to conventional toxic fuels
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Buckinghamshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Strategic partnership with Buckinghamshire Council to lead the Westcott Space Hub initiative. The hub is a £20 million space innovation facility providing testing facilities, training spaces, and commercial workspace to support UK space sector growth.
• UK Space AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026UK Space Agency provided £5.8 million in funding for the Westcott Space Hub, matched by £15 million in private investment. The facility includes vacuum chamber for testing electric propulsion engines - one of the largest of its kind in the world.
• AVS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVS Group is the parent company from which URA Thrusters spun off in 2019. AVS is one of the world's leading companies in design, development, and production of mechanical, opto-mechanical, thermal, and propulsion systems for Space and Scientific applications. Provides expertise in quality assurance, engineering, production, integration, and industrialization.
• Imperial College LondonmajorTechnology or IntegrationWorld-class research collaborator contributing to URA Thrusters' technology development for water-based in-space propulsion systems.
• Surrey Space CentremajorTechnology or IntegrationAcademic research collaborator contributing to URA Thrusters' propulsion technology development and expertise.
• University of SouthamptonmajorTechnology or IntegrationAcademic research collaborator contributing to URA Thrusters' propulsion technology development and expertise.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris Technologies): US propulsion major producing in-space chemical and electric propulsion systems across multiple satellite classes. Broad incumbent operating in the same overall space propulsion market where URA competes.
• Apollo Fusion (acquired by Astra): Acquired by Astra Space, Apollo Fusion developed Hall-effect thrusters for small satellite constellations. Direct competitor to URA's HET in the smallsat/constellation electric propulsion category.
• Safran (Space Propulsion): European aerospace and propulsion major with established Hall-effect thrusters and chemical propulsion heritage (via Snecma/Safran Aircraft Engines). Dominant incumbent in GEO satellite propulsion that URA targets for displacement via water-based green propellants.

Emerging players

• Phase Four: US startup developing RF thruster (plasma) propulsion systems for small satellites as a non-toxic alternative to conventional chemical and electric propulsion. Comparable to URA's MET/AQUAMET as a next-generation electric propulsion alternative.
• Accion Systems: US startup developing electrospray (ionic liquid) propulsion for small satellites, providing non-toxic electric propulsion alternative. Competes with URA in the smallsat propulsion category where green-propellant positioning matters.
• Morpheus Space: German startup developing miniaturized electric propulsion for small satellites using Field-Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP). Direct competitor in the green electric propulsion smallsat market segment alongside URA's HET and MET products.

Direct peers

• Busek Co. Inc. US developer of electric propulsion systems including Hall-effect thrusters and chemical thrusters for small satellites. Competes directly with URA's HET and ICE product lines for smallsat and constellation customers.
• ThrustMe: French space propulsion startup developing electric and chemical propulsion systems, including water-based and iodine-based thrusters for small satellites. Direct competitor to URA in green electric propulsion for CubeSats and SmallSats.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urathrusters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about URA Thrusters