Liftero, a Polish developer of propulsion technologies for space missions, has completed the Test Readiness Review (TRR) stage of the HIPSTER project, carried out for the European Space Agency under its ARTES programme, Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems.
ESA’s approval of the milestone confirms that Liftero has developed and manufactured an engineering model of an electrothermal backup thruster for medium and large satellite platforms. The company is now beginning a three-month test campaign.
The research and development project could provide the basis for further work on a new solution for manufacturers of large satellite platforms, including companies such as Airbus and OHB. Liftero expects total revenue from the project in 2026 to reach approximately EUR 480,000, reduced by advances received in previous years. The company’s flagship commercial product remains its BOOSTER propulsion system.
A Backup Thruster for Electric Satellite Platforms
The HIPSTER project aims to develop an engineering model of an electrothermal backup thruster for medium and large satellite platforms that rely exclusively on electric propulsion. The target is Technology Readiness Level 5, or TRL 5.
The research is intended to achieve approximately ten times more thrust and around twice the specific impulse of currently used cold-gas systems. This could significantly improve the efficiency of manoeuvres performed by backup propulsion units.
Completion and ESA approval of the TRR stage allow Liftero to begin a three-month test campaign at its research facility in Kraków. The test results will represent the final milestone before the planned completion of the project in the third quarter of this year.
“The completion of the Test Readiness Review in the HIPSTER project is an important milestone in the research and development work we are conducting for the European Space Agency. We have developed and manufactured an engineering model of an electrothermal thruster, and ESA’s approval of the review allows us to begin the test campaign at our Kraków research facility.
“We have been carrying out the project since 2024, and winning it was possible thanks to Liftero’s previous experience in developing a broad range of propulsion technologies. It represents not only a meaningful financial contribution of EUR 480,000 in 2026, but also demonstrates our strong capabilities in propulsion systems and builds trust with ESA,” says Tomasz Palacz, CEO of Liftero.
Improving the Performance of Backup Propulsion
HIPSTER has been carried out since 2024 under ESA’s ARTES programme, which focuses on technologies for the satellite telecommunications sector. Its goal is to develop an engineering model of a backup thruster for medium and large satellite platforms using electric propulsion exclusively.
The project targets TRL 5, which means validating the solution in an environment close to its intended operational conditions.
Satellite platforms of this type are usually equipped with a main electric propulsion system and auxiliary propulsion units. These smaller systems are used, among other purposes, to stabilise a satellite after deployment, perform manoeuvres in emergency modes or operate when available power is limited. They generally use the same propellant as the platform’s main propulsion system, most often xenon.
In medium and large satellite platforms, these auxiliary engines are currently most commonly based on cold-gas technology. Such systems are characterised by relatively low thrust and low specific impulse, which in practice limits their efficiency and increases the time required to complete manoeuvres.
The solution developed by Liftero under the HIPSTER project uses electrothermal technology, which differs from the technology used in the company’s BOOSTER system. By operating at high inlet pressure, the thruster under development is intended to generate approximately ten times more thrust than currently used backup systems, while offering around twice the specific impulse.
“Medium and large satellite platforms that use electric propulsion as their main source of manoeuvring capability still require efficient auxiliary thrusters for tasks performed under specific operating conditions. Existing backup solutions are simple, but inefficient, meaning that some manoeuvres can take a very long time.
“ESA sees demand for more effective solutions in this area. In the HIPSTER project, we are developing a technology that could materially improve the performance of such systems and increase the attractiveness of future propulsion solutions for platform manufacturers and mission operators. The results of the test campaign will be an important stage for both Liftero and ESA in assessing the prospects for this technology and its potential further development,” says Przemysław Drożdż, COO of Liftero.
Three-Month Test Campaign in Kraków
Following ESA’s approval of the Test Readiness Review on 14 May 2026, Liftero is ready to begin an approximately three-month test campaign for the engineering model of its electrothermal thruster.
The tests will be conducted at the company’s specially adapted research facility in Kraków and will be the final major stage before the completion of the HIPSTER project. Under the current schedule, the project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026.
HIPSTER forms part of Liftero’s order backlog and is expected to support the company’s financial performance in 2026. Liftero estimates that total revenue from the project will amount to approximately EUR 480,000 this year.
Actual cash inflows are expected to reach around EUR 270,000, as a portion of the project funding was paid to Liftero in the form of advances in previous years.
