TunaCan Thruster
SteamJet Space
Space-qualified, water-based electrothermal thruster that mounts externally in the 'tuna can' exclusion volume of CubeSat deployers, preserving 100% of internal bus volume.
Technical specifications
- Wet Mass
- ~0.54 kg
- Specific impulse
- 172 s
- Thrust
- 5-20 mN
- Total impulse
- Up to 219 Ns
- Peak power
- <20 W
- Propellant
- Water (non-toxic, low-pressure)
- Dimensions
- 80 x 80 mm (cylindrical)
- Interface
- RS-422, TTL UART, I2C; standard mount for 3U/6U/12U frames
- Flight heritage
- In-orbit since 2022; SatRevolution 'Above the Clouds' mission; multiple undisclosed LEO commercial deployments
- Compliance
- NASA GSFC-STD-7000A, ESA ECSS-E-ST-10-03C; ITAR-free; approved for Falcon 9, SLS, Soyuz
- Compatible deployers
- Nanoracks, ISISpace, Exolaunch
About
The TunaCan is a space-qualified, water-based electrothermal propulsion system specifically engineered to fit within the external ‘tuna can’ volume of standard CubeSat deployers. By mounting on the cylindrical exclusion zone of the deployer rather than inside the satellite bus, TunaCan achieves zero internal footprint, preserving 100% of the host satellite’s internal volume for payload and subsystems.
TunaCan uses low-pressure, non-toxic water as propellant, heated and expelled through a supersonic nozzle to generate 5-20 mN of thrust at up to 172 s specific impulse, for a total impulse of up to 219 Ns, while drawing less than 20 W of peak power. It communicates over RS-422, TTL UART or I2C and provides a standard mechanical interface for 3U, 6U and 12U CubeSat frames.
The system is designed for precision constellation phasing and deployment, active collision avoidance, orbit raising and station-keeping, and compliant de-orbiting under 25-year debris mitigation guidelines. It complies with NASA GSFC-STD-7000A and ESA ECSS-E-ST-10-03C standards, is approved for flight on Falcon 9, SLS and Soyuz launch vehicles, and is 100% ITAR-free. TunaCan has in-orbit heritage since 2022, including validation on SatRevolution’s ‘Above the Clouds’ mission, and is compatible with Nanoracks, ISISpace and Exolaunch deployers.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
