A Japanese company developing water-based motors will test its system on a Sony nanosatellite launched earlier this month. Sony has chosen Pale Blue to provide the orbital engine for the Star Sphere project, which will deliver 4K still images and videos and provide “cosmic perspectives” for artistic and educational use.

The first Sony satellite for this project was launched, along with 113 other satellites in the rocket. Falcon 9 During the SpaceX mission carrier 6 January 3 called Cubesat 6U Star Orb-1 and has a full-frame camera. The satellite is also equipped with Pale Blue’s water vapor propulsion system, which will be used for the company’s first space demonstration of a water engine in late January.

According to Pale Blue, the small engine will extend the satellite’s lifespan by 2.5 years, helping it stay in orbit. The company claims that water vapor is an environmentally friendly solution to meet the growing demand for small satellites with onboard engines.

“I am delighted that our safe, sustainable and cost-effective water engine was able to contribute to this project, and we are committed to the development of the space industry,” said Jun Asakawa, CEO and co-founder of Pale Blue. Declaration. Pale Blue was founded in 2020 and is developing a range of water propulsion systems based on research conducted by the Japanese Space Agency. JAXA and the University of Tokyo.