NEWS
Astrum Drive was honored to meet with Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas, and share our vision for fuel-free space propulsion.
It was a valuable opportunity to discuss how breakthrough propulsion technologies developed in Texas can strengthen the state’s leadership in space innovation, advanced manufacturing, and the future space economy.
Welcoming Olaf Groth to Astrum Drive Technologies
Olaf is a globally recognized strategist and futurist, and a Professor of Practice at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, where he leads executive education on emerging tech strategies.
At Astrum, Olaf will help us accelerate momentum through:
– Global networks across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Central/East Asia (policymakers, academics/scientists, corporate leaders, and private equity)
– Strategic visibility and brand exposure through public speaking and global forums
– Innovation horizon scanning and strategy craft
– Commercial diplomacy at the intersection of tech, geopolitics, and geoeconomics (“Geotech”).
Welcoming Olaf Groth to Astrum Drive Technologies
We’re excited to welcome Olaf Groth, PhD to Astrum Drive Technologies as a strategic advisor focused on global partnerships and “Geotech” (technology × geopolitics × geoeconomics).
Olaf is a globally recognized strategist and futurist, and a Professor of Practice at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, where he leads executive education on emerging tech strategies.
At Astrum, Olaf will help us accelerate momentum through:
– Global networks across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Central/East Asia (policymakers, academics/scientists, corporate leaders, and private equity)
– Strategic visibility and brand exposure through public speaking and global forums
– Innovation horizon scanning and strategy craft
– Commercial diplomacy at the intersection of tech, geopolitics, and geoeconomics (“Geotech”).
Welcome Jack Smith to the Astrum Drive Team!
We are pleased to welcome Jack Smith to the Astrum Drive team. Jack is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a distinguished leader in national security, space advocacy, and workforce development. A brief biography follows:
Jack Smith is a Vice President of Chapter Operations at Space Force Association, a U.S. Air Force veteran and entrepreneurial leader committed to advancing technology, national security, and workforce development. As Vice President of Chapter Operations for the Space Force Association (SFA), Jack drives global chapter engagement and strategic initiatives that strengthen the Space Force mission and expand opportunities in the emerging space economy.
After his military service, Jack founded Fortuna Business Management Consulting, a veteran-owned firm specializing in IT services, cloud solutions, and workforce optimization. Under his leadership, Fortuna has earned national recognition as a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree, was named California Disabled Veteran Business of the Year (2023), and twice ranked on the Vet100 list of fastest growing veteran-owned businesses. These achievements reflect Jack’s commitment to innovation and creating pathways for veterans, reservists, and military spouses to connect with the jobs of the future.
With a passion for bridging military experience and entrepreneurial success, Jack empowers organizations and individuals to thrive in an era of digital transformation and space operations.
Welcome Jack Smith to the Astrum Drive Team!
We are pleased to welcome Jack Smith to the Astrum Drive team. Jack is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a distinguished leader in national security, space advocacy, and workforce development. A brief biography follows:
Jack Smith is a Vice President of Chapter Operations at Space Force Association, a U.S. Air Force veteran and entrepreneurial leader committed to advancing technology, national security, and workforce development. As Vice President of Chapter Operations for the Space Force Association (SFA), Jack drives global chapter engagement and strategic initiatives that strengthen the Space Force mission and expand opportunities in the emerging space economy.
After his military service, Jack founded Fortuna Business Management Consulting, a veteran-owned firm specializing in IT services, cloud solutions, and workforce optimization. Under his leadership, Fortuna has earned national recognition as a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree, was named California Disabled Veteran Business of the Year (2023), and twice ranked on the Vet100 list of fastest growing veteran-owned businesses. These achievements reflect Jack’s commitment to innovation and creating pathways for veterans, reservists, and military spouses to connect with the jobs of the future.
With a passion for bridging military experience and entrepreneurial success, Jack empowers organizations and individuals to thrive in an era of digital transformation and space operations.
Astrum Named a Top Space & Defense Startup:
Astrum Drive Technologies was recently recognized as one of the Top 10 U.S. Space Startups and featured among the 7 Top Space and Defense Tech Startups.
These honors highlight the impact of our fuel-free, electricity-only space propulsion system and its potential to reshape how satellites and spacecraft move in orbit and beyond.
Links:
Top 10 U.S. Space Startups – https://www.space-startups.org/
7 Top Space and Defense Tech Startups – https://techcrunch.com
Astrum Drive Receives Cloud Credit Investment from Google
We are excited to announce that Astrum Drive Aerospace has received an investment from Google in the form of Google Cloud Credits. These resources will significantly accelerate our large-scale simulations, thermodynamic modeling, and real-time optimization of the Astrum Drive propulsion architecture. This support strengthens our ability to iterate faster as we prepare for our upcoming orbital demonstration.
Invitation to Draper University’s Deep Tech & Innovation Event
We were honored to be invited to a Draper University event focused on deep-tech innovation and frontier technologies. Draper’s ecosystem of founders, investors, and global leaders provides an exceptional platform for breakthrough ideas, and we are proud to be recognized among companies shaping the future of aerospace.
Astrum Drive Aerospace at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 AT DISRUPT 2025
The event was a major success. Over three days, we connected with more than 500 attendees, including numerous potential investors, partners, and industry leaders. The momentum from TechCrunch has further validated our mission and accelerated interest in our upcoming in-orbit demonstration.
Endorsement from Star Trek Executive Producer E. Roddenberry
We are proud to share an inspiring endorsement from E. Roddenberry, Executive Producer of Star Trek:
“Astrum Drive embodies the spirit of exploration and innovation that inspired Star Trek.
It’s exactly this kind of bold thinking that turns science fiction into reality!”
This recognition highlights the broader cultural and visionary significance of our work as we push the boundaries of space propulsion.
Letter of Intent Signed with SpaceDock
Astrum Drive has signed a Letter of Intent with SpaceDock, a pioneer in modular, interoperable space infrastructure. SpaceDock’s AI-powered connectors enable autonomous berthing, docking, power transfer, and hosted payload integration—key components of the emerging in-space logistics network.
Together, we aim to explore how propellantless propulsion can enhance scalable refueling, servicing, and resupply architectures in orbit.
Jackie Space Joins Astrum Drive as Strategic Advisor
We are thrilled to welcome Jackie Space to the Astrum Drive team. With deep experience across the aerospace industry, military programs, and government contracting, Jackie brings essential insights into defense procurement and regulatory strategy.
Her expertise will play a critical role as we expand engagements with government customers and prepare our propulsion system for operational deployment.
Prof. Larry Louie Joins Astrum Drive as CFO
Astrum Drive is pleased to announce that Prof. Larry Louie has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. An accomplished financial strategist, entrepreneur, and educator, Prof. Louie brings decades of experience in scaling organizations, managing capital strategy, and guiding high-growth technology companies.
His leadership strengthens our financial foundation as we raise capital, expand operations, and move toward our in-orbit demonstration.
08/27/2025 Company Update:
Astrum Drive Technologies Selected for TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2025
We’re thrilled to announce that Astrum Drive Technologies has been selected for TechCrunch’s 2025 Startup Battlefield 200—chosen from thousands of global applicants as one of the most ambitious and innovative startups in the world. This is where visibility meets momentum, and we’re honored to be on the list that VCs, corporates, founders, and the global tech community watch to discover what’s next.
As part of the SB200, we’ll be featured at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, October 27–29 in San Francisco—the most iconic stage in tech. With past Battlefield alumni like Dropbox, Cloudflare, Mint, and Trello, it’s inspiring to join such company—especially in TechCrunch’s 20th anniversary year, set to be the biggest and boldest Disrupt yet. We can’t wait to share what’s next and connect with the community.
Link: techcrunch.com/2025
Astrum Drive Technologies Wins Power of People Innovation Award at SpaceTank 2025!
We’re incredibly proud to announce that Astrum Drive Technologies has been awarded the Power of People Innovation Award at SpaceTank 2025 during Space Tech Expo! This award recognizes our propellantless propulsion system as a game-changing technology voted most impactful by industry leaders, investors, and fellow innovators.
Thank you to the SpaceTank organizers, judges, and everyone who believes in our mission to revolutionize space exploration. This recognition fuels our passion to push boundaries and bring sustainable, scalable propulsion to the next generation of spacecraft.
Congratulations to all the amazing startups who shared the stage. The future of space is brighter than ever!
Exciting News!
Astrum Drive Technologies, a pioneer in propellantless space propulsion, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Space Ocean Corp, a leader in orbital fluid logistics and deep-space infrastructure. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the commercial demonstration of Astrum’s revolutionary propulsion system—technology that eliminates the need for conventional fuel in spaceflight.
“This partnership accelerates our path to full orbital validation,” said Dr. Ivaylo Vasilev, CEO of Astrum Drive. “We’re thrilled to work with Space Ocean to bring our fuel-free propulsion system into space, where it can dramatically reduce costs, extend satellite lifespans, and open new frontiers for maneuvering and servicing missions.”
More Exciting News!
Astrum Drive Technologies has been featured by SpaceVerse, one of the world’s largest and most influential space YouTube channels. We’re honored to share our breakthrough propellantless propulsion technology with their amazing community of space enthusiasts.
A big thank you to the SpaceVerse team for helping us amplify our vision for the future of space mobility!
05/19/2025 Company Update:
Astrum Drive Named One of the Top 10 Space Mining Startups to Watch
We are proud to share that Astrum Drive Technologies has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Space Mining Startups to Watch by StartUs Insights — a leading platform tracking innovation across industries.
This recognition highlights our commitment to revolutionizing space propulsion and enabling the future of off-Earth resource utilization. As we develop next-generation propulsion systems designed to operate without onboard fuel, we aim to unlock the full potential of long-duration space missions, asteroid mining, and deep-space exploration.
We’re honored to be featured alongside other visionary companies shaping the future of space mining.
Read the full article here: StartUs Insights – Top 10 Space Mining Companies
Thank you to our supporters, partners, and team members who help make this vision a reality. The journey has just begun..
04/07/2025 Company Update:
Astrum Drive Technologies Selected as One of the Five Innovative Space Startups to
Present at Space Tank 2025 at Space Tech Expo:
Astrum Drive Technologies is proud to announce that we have been chosen as one of the top five pioneering space startups invited to present at the prestigious Space Tank pitch event during Space Tech Expo 2025. This premier industry event recognizes groundbreaking startups poised to revolutionize the aerospace sector.
Space Tank brings together leading investors, industry experts, and visionary startups to showcase transformative aerospace technologies. Selected from numerous global applicants, Astrum Drive Technologies earned a coveted spot to highlight our revolutionary propellantless propulsion system—an innovation poised to redefine the future of space exploration and satellite operations.
“We’re honored to have our technology and vision recognized at Space Tank,” said Dr. Ivaylo Vasilev, CEO of Astrum Drive Technologies. “This selection reinforces the industry’s confidence in our solution, and we are excited to present our game-changing approach to propulsion technology in front of a distinguished audience.”
Join us at Space Tech Expo 2025 as we present our innovative technology and outline how Astrum Drive is shaping a sustainable, efficient, and expansive future in space:
01/21/2025 Company Update:
We are thrilled to announce that Astrum Drive Technologies will be presenting at SpaceCom 2025, the largest space industry conference in the United States! The event will take place on January 30, 2025, at 14:30 in beautiful Orlando, Florida:
01/16/2025 Company Update:
Astrum Drive Technologies proudly establishes its European Headquarters in Turin, Italy – Astrum Drive Technologies Europe Srl – reinforcing our independence and operational expansion in the region. This milestone strengthens our R&D in propellantless propulsion technology, enhances access to key aerospace markets, and lays the foundation for a fully operational presence in Europe.
A defining moment: The new CEO of Astrum Drive Technologies Europe, Roberto Valla, signs the documents.
01/11/2025 Company Update:
We were invited to NASA to talk about our propellantless space propulsion system.
The panel starts at 3:00 PM On line and Building 3 Auditorium
12/30/2024 Propellantless Space Propulsion Update
During this experiment, we achieved a constant thrust of approximately 50 mN using about 300 W of electricity, with no exhaust other than heat. It takes about 3 minutes for the system to heat up and reach full thrust.
The video intentionally does not show the full size of the propulsion system, as viewing it requires an NDA.
10/03/2024 Company Update:
For the third year in a row, we have been invited to SpaceCom 2025, the largest space conference in the U.S., to discuss our propellantless space propulsion. The conference will take place on January 29-30, 2025, in Orlando, Florida.
06/30/2024 Propellantless Space Propulsion Update:
We entered into multiple partnerships with esteemed universities and satellite providers to test and integrate our propellantless propulsion system. For example, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the Technical University of Sofia, EnduroSat, KMI, and several others.
03/31/2024 Propellantless Space Propulsion Update:
The prototype was placed on a sensitive scale, where we observed an increase in mass due to a downward thrust of 4 mN, as demonstrated in the video. Currently, we have achieved a thrust of 20 mN. The force is constant, which indicates there is no mass loss; we conducted tests lasting over 60 minutes. This represents a significant force for space applications. For instance, with a constant acceleration of 0.1 N, a 100 kg probe could reach Mars in 120 days.
01/05/2024 Company Update:
12/10/2023 Company Update:
We have been invited to give a talk about our propellantless space propulsion at the Space Suppliers Summit in Glasgow. There, we will also have an exhibition table. Details are as follows:
Tue, Feb 6, 9 AM – Wed, Feb 7, 5 PM GMT
University of Strathclyde,The Technology and Innovation Centre
99 George St, Glasgow, United Kingdom
11/30/2023 Company Update:
We have been invited to participate as speakers at SpaceCom 2024, which is the largest space conference in the US, to give a talk about our propellantless space propulsion. Details are as follows:
Propulsion Enabling On-Orbit Servicing
Wed, Jan 31, 1:45pm – 2:45pm | W331A
Track: SpaceCom | Space Congress: Space Exploration
ORLANDO, FL USA | Orange County Convention Center
6/29/2023 Propellantless Space Propulsion Update:
We achieved a significant breakthrough with the propellantless space propulsion, with our latest prototype we are able to create a stable thrust force of ~5 millinewtons with about 700W of power, with no fuel & no exhaust, just electricity. 5 millinewtons is more than many satellites need to maintain orbit, below is a photo of the engineering team to memorize the moment.
6/28/2023 Company Update:
We were invited to participate in WebIt, one of the biggest start-up conferences in Europe to talk about our space technologies, here is the video:
2/22/2023 Company Update:
We are invited to participate in SpaceCom 2023, this is the biggest space conference in US, details below:
Panel Title: Deep Space Propulsion
Speaker & Chairman: Dr. Ivaylo Vasilev, Astrum Drive Technologies
Date: Wednesday, February 22nd
Time: Panel 4 (3:30-4:30PM)
Location: Room W222A
12/31/2022 Company Update:
Our website reached 3000+ unique visitors in December.
12/10/2022 Company Update:
We participated in TC Sessions: Space 2022 in Los Angeles, we met and discussed with the US Space Force how to utilize our propulsion technology on military satellites, more to follow on the topic.
9/30/2022 Company Update:
We got invited to participate in SpaceCom 2023 where we got featured among their top 10 speakers.
9/1/2022 Propellantless Space Propulsion Update:
We completed the first working prototype of the electrical propellantless space propulsion system.
Currently working on the second iteration to increase the amount of force it generates.
6/07/2022 Company Update:
We got featured in Forbes 6/2022 in a 3 pages article.
4/30/2022 Propellantless Space Propulsion Update
We received US patent for our electrical propellantless propulsion
4/11/2022 Propellantless Space Propulsion Update:
We finally achieved a stable process for our electrical propellantless propulsion.
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