SETS

SETS (Space Electric Thruster Systems) is a Ukrainian electric propulsion manufacturer developing Hall-effect thrusters for small satellite and CubeSat applications, operating from Kyiv as one of the few commercial propulsion companies in Eastern Europe with flight-demonstrated space heritage. The company's ST-25 Hall-effect thruster — producing approximately 1.5 mN thrust at 25W input power — achieved successful in-orbit demonstration aboard the EOS SAT-1 agricultural remote sensing satellite in 2023, validating SETS propulsion technology for commercial Earth observation satellite applications. Hall-effect thrusters ionize a noble gas (xenon or krypton) and accelerate the ions electrostatically using a magnetic field configuration, achieving specific impulse (Isp) of 1,000-2,000 seconds — approximately four times the efficiency of chemical propulsion. This efficiency advantage is critical for small satellites where propellant mass fraction is tightly constrained. SETS has been listed in NASA's State-of-the-Art Small Spacecraft Technology report since 2020, a biennial compilation by NASA Ames of emerging commercial space technologies across propulsion, power, communications, and other subsystems. This listing gives SETS visibility to U.S. satellite developers sourcing non-traditional propulsion components. Continuing operations under the conditions of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine — which began in February 2022 — SETS demonstrates the resilience of Ukraine's technical workforce, which has also sustained software, AI, and aerospace engineering businesses despite ongoing conflict. SETS competes with ThrusterLab (UK), Busek Company (USA), and Exotrail (France) in the smallsat Hall thruster market.