"Uncle Sam's Quest for Satellite Fuel from Thin Air"

Researchers from the Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and George Washington University are developing air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) systems for satellites in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) that can generate fuel from the atmosphere, potentially extending satellite lifetimes and reducing mass. This technology, funded by DARPA, aims to use air as propellant instead of conventional fuels, and while still in the experimental phase, it has garnered interest from space agencies like the European Space Agency.