Technology
CubeSats demand precision—not just in performance, but in how engineers think. With tight constraints on size, power, and weight, innovation becomes a necessity, not a luxury. At HeliuSpace, we’ve embraced the mantra that constraint breeds creativity. As former CubeSat engineers ourselves, we designed Tetra to be user-friendly, robust, and as mechanically straightforward as possible—avoiding overengineering and cutting out failure points that don’t need to be there.
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That said, playing it safe doesn’t get you to orbit. We believe in bridging the gap between cutting-edge ideas and proven aerospace fundamentals. Our approach is to take advanced concepts that have long existed at larger scales and refine them into a form that works for CubeSats—balancing risk with ingenuity.
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The uniqueness of Tetra lies in its layered integration of five core technologies, each carefully chosen and developed to elevate CubeSat mobility without bloating complexity. Together, they create a propulsion system that is compact, scalable, and future-ready.
Microvalve-Only Control
Tetra’s entire firing sequence is controlled by miniature solenoid valves, eliminating the need for bulky actuators or flow controllers. This leads to up to 30–40% lower power consumption, greater mechanical simplicity, and tighter system integration. The main challenge is ensuring these valves remain responsive and reliable across thousands of cycles in flight conditions.
Linear Aerospike Nozzle
The flat geometry of a linear aerospike allows us to pack more thrust into a smaller volumetric footprint than traditional bell nozzles. It enables Tetra’s compact, stackable design—perfect for tight satellite real estate. Key challenges include thermal stresses and precise internal flow distribution at this small scale.
Additive Manufacturing
3D printing enables internal channels, manifolds, and part consolidation that wouldn’t be feasible with traditional manufacturing. It reduces part count and system mass. The tradeoff is managing print tolerances, post-processing, and ensuring consistent material quality for space use.
Thrust through Decomposition
Tetra uses 85%+ high-test hydrogen peroxide (HTP) as its propellant, decomposing it over a catalyst bed into oxygen and superheated steam. It’s a green, storable solution with no need for complex ignition systems. We focus on maintaining reaction consistency and safely managing the heat load in a compact form factor.
Self-Pressurisation
Instead of relying on separate pressurant tanks, Tetra routes a portion of its decomposed gas back to self-pressurize the propellant tank. This reduces complexity and saves mass. The challenge lies in achieving stable, repeatable pressure control over time without compromising thrust performance.
Thanks to our team’s full-stack understanding of CubeSat subsystems, we’ve merged these technologies into one coherent system that works with your satellite, not against it.