A Spanish engineer develops electrodynamic tethers to deorbit satellites without fuel
Aerospace engineer Jesús Manuel Muñoz Tejeda, CEO of the startup Persei Space, is working on electrodynamic tethers so that inactive satellites can lower their orbit without propellant and disintegrate in the atmosphere. Founded in 2023, the company plans an in-orbit demonstration in 2027 at about 550 kilometers altitude, funded by ESA and the European Commission. In 2025 there were 324 orbital launches, a record.
In 35 seconds
- Persei Space uses electrodynamic tethers, conductive cables that interact with Earth's magnetic field and ionospheric plasma to generate drag without fuel.
- The startup plans an in-orbit demonstration in 2027 under the Spanish flag, with a 19-kilogram prototype and a 430-meter aluminum tape.
- 2025 set records with 324 orbital launches and 4,000 new payloads, mostly from SpaceX and China.
IASummary generated by artificial intelligence from a story by El Mundo. It may contain errors: the original source prevails.




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