Zenno Astronautics

Zenno Astronautics was founded in 2017 by Max Arshavsky while he was studying engineering at the University of Auckland, home to Aotearoa New Zealand's first Space Systems programme. The founding team set out to harness high-temperature superconductivity, a technology long discussed as a theoretical solution for spacecraft attitude control, formation flying and radiation shielding, and turn it into flight-ready hardware.

Today Zenno describes itself as the only company in the world focused purely on high-temperature superconducting magnets for space applications. Its flagship Supertorquer (Z01) product line uses superconducting coils to generate large magnetic dipole moments, giving spacecraft fuel-free torque for attitude control, momentum-wheel desaturation and proximity operations, without the mass and complexity of oversized torque rods, reaction wheels or thruster-based systems.

Zenno's hardware has flown three space missions to date: Numero Uno (2023), the world's first demonstration of superconducting magnetic field generation in space, hosted on D-Orbit's ION satellite carrier; Vincent Freeman (2025-2026), which achieved TRL8+ maturity and validated three-axis magnetic torque aboard Impulse Space's Mira orbital transfer vehicle; and the upcoming Almighty Magnet mission (2026), which will fly the most powerful magnetic actuator ever launched aboard Portal Space Systems' Starburst-1 spacecraft. The company is backed by investors including ANA Holdings, Global Brains, Mitsubishi Electric, GD1, Nuance Capital, Airtree-affiliated Altitude Ventures, NZVC, Enterprise Angels, K1W1 and NZ Growth Capital Partners, and operates New Zealand's dedicated space superconductor development facility in Auckland.