NEO-1
A satellite designed to keep flying in very low Earth orbit, about 180 to 250 km up, for years by using an air-breathing ion engine to cancel out drag.
Why it matters
Most satellites avoid very low orbit because air drag pulls them down within weeks. A satellite that can stay there gets closer to the ground for sharper Earth images, faster connections to phones, and better weather data, and it burns up quickly once it is retired.
How the technology works
NEO-1 carries NewOrbit's AURA engine, which collects the thin air molecules it flies through, ionizes them and fires them backward to make thrust. NewOrbit says lab tests showed enough thrust to fully offset drag, and that the satellite is designed to fly for up to five years.
It will carry outside customers' payloads.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction