Aurora Plasma Brake
A deorbiting device that unreels a thin charged tether and uses drag from charged particles in the upper atmosphere to slow a dead satellite until it falls back and burns up, using no fuel.
Why it matters
Regulators now expect small satellites to leave orbit within five years of mission end. A fuel-free brake lets satellites without thrusters meet that rule.
How the technology works
The tether is a wire thinner than a human hair that is given an electric charge, so it interacts with charged particles in the ionosphere and creates Coulomb drag that slows the satellite. Aurora says it works on orbits up to 1,000 km.
Prototypes flew on AuroraSat-1 in 2022, one flew on C3S's Wisdom satellite in November 2025, and one is slated for SpeQtral-1.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction