[SatNews] Snecma (Safran) and Thales Alenia Space France have signed an agreement to work together on new-generation Spacebus satellite platforms with "all electric" propulsion.

According to this agreement, Thales Alenia Space France will offer the Snecma PPS®5000
plasma thruster as standard equipment on its new Spacebus platforms, while Snecma will
integrate Thales Alenia Space's requirements in its thruster qualification program.

Snecma has been developing electric thrusters for satellites for more than 30 years andnow
offers a range of Hall effect plasma thrusters and associated propulsion systems, at power
ratings from 500W to 20kW. Electric propulsion technology reduces the weight of a
geostationary satellite by some 40 percent when used in an all-electric configuration.
Snecma's PPS®1350 plasma thrusters (power rating of 1.5 to 2.5 kW), already in service on
the Alphabus platform, provide orbital positioning and stationkeeping for satellites. Thales
Alenia Space had already chosen the PPS®1350 thruster for its current line of Spacebus
platforms.
Snecma's higher-power PPS®5000 (5 kW), now under development, is designed to meet the
needs of all next-generation satellites using all-electric propulsion.