China's Star Space raises Series A++ to scale krypton satellite thrusters
What's the deal? Beijing Star Space Technology has completed a Series A++ and other financing rounds, the Chinese satellite propulsion maker announced in September 2026. Zijing Sci-Tech Innovation and Jiangning Jingkai Lingyi Fund led the round.
Who else backed it? Nanjing Jiangning Economic Development Lingyi Fund and zijing kechuang also participated. The company will use the money for new product research and development, plus mass production capacity expansion.
What does it do? Founded in 2019, Star Space builds space propulsion systems that handle satellite orbit transfer, orbit keeping, and attitude adjustment. It runs two product lines — electric and chemical propulsion — and treats mass manufacturing as an equal priority.
Why now? China's two major low-earth-orbit satellite internet constellations are entering an intensive networking phase, driving concentrated demand for propulsion. Constellation builders now judge suppliers on two things: working-medium cost and reliable delivery capacity.
What's the endgame? Star Space bets on krypton rather than the industry-standard xenon working medium. Krypton reserves are roughly 10 times larger, its market price is under 1/25 that of xenon, and its theoretical specific impulse is better — savings that compound sharply across a ten-thousand-satellite constellation.
The track record. The company has delivered more than 80 propulsion systems, with over 40 operating in orbit. Every Hall electric propulsion system it put in orbit in 2024 used krypton.
What could go wrong? Krypton is harder to work with: its smaller atomic weight means faster diffusion, harder ionization, and lower density, creating high-pressure storage and stable-supply problems. Under extreme conditions the efficiency gap versus xenon can reach about 15%.
The signal: As LEO constellations scale toward tens of thousands of satellites, propulsion economics move to centre stage. Star Space's krypton bet reflects a broader race to strip cost out of constellation hardware while proving reliability in orbit.
Read more: eu.36kr.com
Image credit: NASA Goddard Photo and Video
