Supernova
A spacecraft that uses concentrated sunlight to heat its propellant, aiming for about 6 km/s of maneuvering, enough to hop from low orbit to GEO in hours or head toward the Moon. First flight is booked on a Falcon 9 in 2028.
Why it matters
Most satellites can barely change orbit once launched. A craft with this much maneuvering budget could reposition military satellites quickly, carry payloads to higher orbits, or travel into cislunar space, without nuclear power.
How the technology works
Portal's FLARE thruster uses concentrated sunlight to heat a 3D-printed heat exchanger, then runs ammonia propellant through it and out a nozzle. Portal says this gives performance comparable to nuclear thermal propulsion without a reactor.
In 2025 it ran the thruster at full power in a vacuum chamber, using electric heaters to stand in for sunlight. The first Supernova will fly on the Motus Via Sol mission.