Shoebox-Sized Superconducting Thruster Demonstrates Fuel-Free Maneuvering in First Orbital Test
A shoebox-sized superconducting thruster that generates acceleration without consuming propellant has completed its first in-orbit test, marking the first time a superconducting device has ever been operated in space. The Z01 Supertorquer, built by New Zealand startup Zenno Astronautics, flew on Impulse Space’s Mira satellite launched in November 2025 and performed “with flying colors,” according to CEO Max Arshavsky.
The Z01 uses superconducting coils cooled to minus 200 degrees Celsius (minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit) to generate a strong magnetic field. When this field interacts with Earth’s geomagnetic field, it produces torque that can rotate or stabilize the satellite: all without burning an ounce of propellant.
“It’s converting solar energy straight into useful work,” Arshavsky said. “Energy is the one thing that is abundant in space, and you can use it to energize the magnet to create a magnetic acceleration device. It gives you acceleration without fuel.”
How it works
Traditional satellite thrusters expel propellant mass: whether chemical or electric: to produce thrust. The Supertorquer instead uses magnetic torque: solar panels charge a battery, which powers superconducting coils with zero electrical resistance, creating a magnetic dipole that interacts with Earth’s ambient magnetic field. The resulting Lorentz force rotates the spacecraft.
Managing the extreme cold inside a satellite that sits at roughly 20 degrees Celsius required insulation layers and an active heat pump. No cryogenic liquids are needed, and the system draws power entirely from solar panels.
“Once you have superconducting technology available in space, you can then create very strong magnetic fields and use them for various use cases,” Arshavsky said. “You can accelerate things in space very fast or change the trajectory of a satellite completely without fuel.”
Beyond attitude control
The immediate application is propellant-free attitude control: de-tumbling, precision pointing, and station-keeping without the mass and complexity of conventional reaction wheels or thrusters. But Zenno sees a much larger potential.
The company’s roadmap includes scaling the technology for spacecraft docking and proximity operations using magnetic forces, interplanetary propulsion to the Moon or Mars requiring no propellant, and radiation shielding for crewed spacecraft. Strong magnetic fields can act as “umbrellas” around a spacecraft, deflecting charged particles.
“When we go to space, we get hurt by radiation, and these superconducting magnets can create umbrellas of magnetic fields around the spacecraft to protect the interior,” Arshavsky said.
Zenno plans to fly a larger demonstrator later in 2026 on an undisclosed mission.
A field heating up
Zenno’s orbital test arrives amid a broader surge of interest in superconducting space propulsion. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently developed a compact high-temperature superconducting magnetoplasmadynamic thruster that achieved 3,265 seconds of specific impulse at 12 kilowatts input: reducing power requirements from 285 kilowatts and mass from 220 kilograms to 60 kilograms versus conventional copper-coil equivalents.
New Zealand’s Paihau-Robinson Research Institute is also preparing to send a high-temperature superconducting magnet and flux pump to the International Space Station for further in-space validation.
Andrew Rush, CEO of Star Catcher Industries, recently joined Zenno’s board, signaling growing industry interest in the technology.
“We are essentially looking to remove all reliance on Earth’s resources so that we can build a sustainable industry in space,” Arshavsky said.