Apex is vertically integrating propulsion.
Why? Because the electric propulsion industry was built around specialized spacecraft programs, not the production rates and schedules of a high-volume spacecraft factory. Electric propulsion technology itself is mature and well proven, but the traditional approach often relies on complex designs, specialized manufacturing processes, and propulsion systems tailored to individual missions.
We have designed a new electric propulsion system and collaborated with
@NASAJPL to build on their proven technology while optimizing the new thruster design for mass production and reliability in orbit.
Apex's thruster is a throttleable, 1 kW-class Hall-effect thruster built around our design-for-manufacturing principles: fewer parts, simpler processes, repeatable builds. Heritage where it counts for reliability, redesigned where it counts for rate. For Apex's larger platforms, multiple thrusters can be clustered to scale thrust and delta-v, rather than requiring a bespoke propulsion program for every bus.
Owning propulsion follows the same logic as the rest of our vertical integration strategy: own the design, own the supply chain, own the schedule – and deliver for our customers at scale.