The Morpheus Space article: Mini-Sattelite drives from Dresden-for a clean everyone by Christoph Hausel, first appeared on Basic Thinking. You always stay up to date with our newsletter.
In the series “Start-up check!” Let us take a close look at the start-ups’ business models. Today: The Dresden aviation company Morpheus Space, which has announced space driven with its mini satellite drives.
Start-ups: That sounds like inventory, future technologies, new markets. In reality, however, many of the start-ups often prove to be a mixture of an e-commerce idea, planless founders and shaky future prospects.
They exist: the thought leaders who tinker with the major problems and revolutionize business models. Finding and presenting this is the task of the format start-up check. Today: Morpheus Space, a Dresden rocket start-up that has adopted the urgent topic of space scrap.
What is Morpheus Space?
- Industry: Space technology / new space
- Founder: Daniel Bock, István Lőrincz, Christian Schunk, Philipp Laufer, Christian Boy and Prof. Martin Tajmar
- Foundation: 2018 at the Technical University of Dresden
- Product: Electric ion drives for small satellites
- Technology: Compact drives with metallic fuel for precise control and controlled deorbaing of satellites
- Target group: Operator of satellites, space companies worldwide
- Investors: IQT, Lobrock Ventures, Pallas Ventures, Techstars (including)
The saying “This is not a Rocket Science” may apply to a lot, but at the Dresden start-up Morpheus Space you have to say: Yes, it is. Because the company develops exactly this: real space drives, but in miniature form. With their electrical ion drives that weigh only a few kilograms, the founders want to solve no less than one of the most pressing problems in the orbit of our planet: the steadily growing space bread.
Satellites are indispensable today – for communication, navigation, espionage, earth observation and much more. But as soon as they get out of control, they become danger: rapidly quickly, difficult to calculate and potentially destructive. It was only mid -May that a space capsule started 53 years ago in the Soviet Union onto the earth, fortunately it smashed it in the Indian Ocean and not in an inhabited area.
In order to avoid such almost disasters, Morpheus Space has developed a solution: ion drives that are small, light and efficient enough to make satellites controllable again, even at the end of their lifetime. This should make the orbit a little safer again.
The special thing: The engines weigh less than two kilograms and use a solid metallic fuel that is melted in the operation, ionized and accelerated in a magnetic field – and completely electrically. This not only enables course corrections, but also the secure return to the earth’s atmosphere, where the satellites then burn up in a controlled manner by the friction heat.
Production, partner – and an extraordinary investor
In the meantime, Morpheus Space also has a location in the United States, but is still being manufactured and tested in Dresden. There the start-up has set up its own test laboratory for the simulation of space conditions. The annual production capacity is currently 100 drives – with a clear scaling intention.
Among other things, the Technical University of Dresden, in which the company was created, or the entrepreneurial association of the Saxony/Thuringia’s space industry, include the Technical University of Dresden.
Particularly exciting: Investors include various venture funds (and by the way, the investment arm of the US secret service CIA, in-Q-Tel), which are specifically involved in space technologies. A clear indication of the strategic relevance of Morpheus technology.
The vision of Morpheus Space: An autonomous traffic management in orbit
In the long term, according to the founders, it is not just about individual drives, but also about the autonomous control of entire satellite fleets. The goal is a system that prevents collisions independently, adapts orbits and takes over a kind of “air traffic control” for orbit.
Everyone can check how important this is today at starry night: Even with the naked eye, countless satellites can be seen in the night sky. According to the European Space Authority, more than 14,000 satellites circled the earth in early May 2025, of which around 11,500 are still functional.
For comparison: Since the beginning of the space age, which began in October 1957 with the start of the Russian satellite Sputnik, around 21,600 satellites have been shot into the orbit. And companies such as SpaceX or Amazon Kuiper are already planning thousands of other satellite starts. However, the infrastructure, in order to safely operate it, has so far been missing.
Morpheus Space is one of those rare start-ups that are technologically enthusiastic and at the same time socially relevant. The combination of physical innovative strength, entrepreneurial foresight and a real future problem as a business model makes the company a promising candidate in the New Space sector.
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The Morpheus Space article: Mini-Sattelite drives from Dresden-for a clean everyone by Christoph Hausel, first appeared on Basic Thinking. Follow us too Google News and Flipboard.
Morpheus Space is a promising company that is developing innovative propulsion technology for small satellites. Their mini-saddle thruster, designed in Dresden, offers a clean and efficient solution for satellite propulsion, making it accessible to a wide range of users in the space industry.
The compact size and low power consumption of Morpheus Space’s technology make it ideal for small satellite missions, allowing for more flexibility and control in orbit. This could have significant implications for the future of satellite deployment and maneuverability.
Overall, I believe Morpheus Space is making a positive impact in the tech industry by advancing propulsion technology for small satellites and democratizing access to space for everyone. Their innovative approach to satellite propulsion has the potential to revolutionize the industry and open up new possibilities for space exploration.
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