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SPACE / Propulsion / REVIEWED 2026-09-11

D04Propulsion power processor

Convert bus power into thruster operating supplies.

Manufacturers & products

A propulsion PPU converts the spacecraft bus into the electrical outputs needed by a particular thruster, cathode and control sequence. It is not the spacecraft PCDU. Hall, gridded-ion and other electric-propulsion power units require different interfaces and are not generic interchangeable power supplies.

These are sourcing candidates, not a confirmed Starlink supply chain.

manufacturer

SITAEL

PPU150, PPU400 and higher-power PPUs

Develops power-processing units matched to its electric-propulsion products, including low-power Hall families. The model name alone is not a full output or bus specification. [3]

Manufacturer inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

Product scope & qualifications
  • Request the current PPU/thruster interface and qualification report for the selected configuration.
View product & inquiry route
manufacturer

ASP Equipment

SPICA-virtus Hall-thruster PPU

Offers a Hall-thruster PPU with separate radiation/shielding configurations. A similarly named HEMPT version serves a different propulsion interface and is not interchangeable without review. [11][12]

Company location: Germany

Manufacturer inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

View product & inquiry route
manufacturer

Airbus Crisa

Gridded-ion PPUs

Offers power electronics for gridded-ion electric propulsion, including high-voltage conversion and neutralizer/control functions. This is a separate technology branch from a generic Hall PPU. [13]

Custom program inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

Product scope & qualifications
  • Do not assign this unit to the modelled Hall thruster without a verified matched configuration.
View product & inquiry route
manufacturer

Thales Alenia Space

PPU Mk3 and successor inquiry

Has publicly documented qualified Hall propulsion power electronics manufactured in Belgium. The cited Mk3 announcement is historical, so the current successor and procurement status require direct confirmation. [14]

Published manufacturing site: Belgium

Custom program inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

Product scope & qualifications
  • The source dates to 2017; this is a supplier lead, not confirmation of current Mk3 stock or unchanged specifications.
View product & inquiry route
manufacturer

ExoTerra Resource

Halo PPU

Offers a PPU matched to Halo propulsion, alongside separately described larger-model power electronics. Input voltage versions and radiation options must be specified as separate configurations. [8][7]

Company location: United States

Manufacturer inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

View product & inquiry route
manufacturer

Orbion Space Technology

Aurora PPU

Offers Aurora power electronics separately or within the complete Hall engine. The product page exposes component specifications but a current configuration review remains necessary. [6]

Manufacturer inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

Product scope & qualifications
  • Do not merge component-page mass with a different whole-engine configuration in the newer brief.
View product & inquiry route
manufacturer

SETS

PPU200, PPU500 and PPU1500

Offers power processing within its Hall propulsion product family, with feed control and telemetry integrated according to the matched system. Obtain the exact PPU configuration and interface. [9][10]

Manufacturer inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

View product & inquiry route
integrator

Busek

PPU within BHT propulsion systems

Provides power processing as part of matched BHT propulsion integration. The public system page does not by itself establish the design authority or standalone ordering route for every PPU. [1]

Custom program inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

Product scope & qualifications
  • Standalone PPU procurement and compatibility with other thrusters require direct confirmation.
View product & inquiry route
integrator

Astra

ASE integrated power-processing electronics

Integrates power electronics into the Astra Satellite Engine. Public historical data describe the PPU, but purchasing an independent unit is not established by the complete-engine offering. [4][5]

Custom program inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

Product scope & qualifications
  • Use the current engine interface document; the 2023 datasheet is not assumed to describe every present configuration.
View product & inquiry route
integrator

Safran

PPU within electric propulsion systems

Offers electric-propulsion system integration including the power-processing function. The public portfolio supports system-level inquiry without proving that Safran manufactures or separately sells every internal PPU. [2]

Custom program inquiry

Manufacturer inquiry is the apparent ordering route; confirm configuration, quotation and availability directly.

Product scope & qualifications
  • Current PPU OEM, model and independent ordering route require confirmation.
View product & inquiry route

What remains unverified

  • The independent PPU market is narrower than the set of propulsion brands: several entries offer power electronics only within an integrated system.
  • Public power, efficiency and radiation ratings commonly omit full operating conditions. No missing test condition has been invented.
  • Older Thales and Astra sources support product/history context only; request current procurement and qualification documentation.

Where it comes from

A company address is shown separately from a published factory location. Request the manufacturing site and lot traceability for the exact part when sourcing.

What to compare

  • Thruster compatibility

    Match the anode/discharge, cathode heater, keeper, magnet and ignition requirements for the exact thruster.

  • Input bus and transients · V, A

    Check full battery/bus range, inrush, startup, conducted emissions and brownout behavior.

  • Output operating map · W, V, A

    Verify power, voltage and current simultaneously; family maxima may not coincide.

  • Efficiency and thermal loss · % and W dissipated

    Compare complete-PPU efficiency at the intended throttle point, including auxiliary outputs.

  • Control and sequencing

    Allocate valve drivers, gas control, startup sequencing, telemetry and fault recovery.

  • Radiation basis · krad(Si) where stated

    Compare TID and SEE behavior with stated shielding and component/test assumptions.

  • Mass and packaging · kg, mm

    Include shielding, cold plate and harness scope and distinguish alternative voltage versions.

  • Redundancy and lifetime

    Check cross-strapping, string count, channel isolation and qualification of the complete propulsion chain.

Selection & integration notes
  • Prefer a thruster-vendor-approved PPU combination until the electrical, plasma-stability and startup interfaces have been reviewed.
  • Integrated engine listings are retained as an integration route; they are not evidence that the internal PPU is sold separately.
  • The Airbus Crisa entry is explicitly a gridded-ion branch, useful for the wider satellite library but not a verified Hall replacement.

Published product examples

3 REFERENCES

Specifications belong to the named product and configuration.

ASP SPICA-virtus HET PPUASP Equipment
Maximum anode power
900 W[11]HET version; confirm simultaneous auxiliary output and thermal limits.
DC input range
62–72 V[11]Published HET product input window.
Mass at standard shielding
4.2 kg[11]30 krad configuration as labelled by manufacturer.
Mass with additional shielding
5.7 kg[11]50 krad configuration; do not combine with the lower mass.
Envelope
372 × 182 × 50 mm[11]Published product dimensions; harness and mounting clearances separate.

Product catalog entry dated 11 March 2025; exact radiation test basis requires the controlled datasheet.

Example sources [11]
ExoTerra Halo PPUExoTerra Resource
Unregulated input
22–36 V[8]Standard Halo PPU, not the separate Halo 12 versions.
Anode output
150–300 V[8]Published Halo output range.
Mass
1.88 kg[8]Published standard Halo configuration.

Confirm shielding, radiation option and current limits for the exact configuration.

Example sources [8]
Orbion Aurora PPU, published component-page configurationOrbion Space Technology
Input bus
24–35 V[6]Component-page configuration; confirm current revision.
Efficiency
90%[6]Public headline; load, temperature and auxiliary-output conditions not stated.
Mass
5.8 kg[6]Component-page configuration; options and current configuration require confirmation.

A dated/configuration-sensitive reference rather than an assurance that every current Aurora PPU has these values.

Example sources [6]

Sources & references

REVIEWED 2026-09-11

Manufacturer pages and technical documents support the linked claims. A review date is not a publication date or stock check.

  1. BHT-600 Hall effect thruster Busek · Publication date not stated

    Nominal xenon operating point, demonstrated impulse and integrated PPU/PMS offering.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  2. Electric propulsion systems portfolio Safran · Publication date not stated

    Integrated electric propulsion scope including power and propellant-management equipment; document is older.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  3. Electric propulsion power and processing units SITAEL · Publication date not stated

    Matched PPU150, PPU400 and higher-power units for SITAEL thrusters.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  4. Astra Satellite Engine Astra · Publication date not stated

    Current integrated Hall propulsion product, xenon/krypton operating points and tank scope.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  5. Astra Spacecraft Engine datasheet, January 2023 Astra · Published 2023-01

    Historical PPU and system specifications; krypton total impulse differs from current web page.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  6. Aurora thrusters and components Orbion Space Technology · Publication date not stated

    Aurora head, PPU and PMA are offered separately or integrated; public component configurations.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  7. Satellite propulsion products ExoTerra Resource · Publication date not stated

    Thruster, system and component offerings; Littleton, Colorado company location.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  8. Propulsion system components ExoTerra Resource · Publication date not stated

    Halo PPU, propellant management and flow-control products; component-specific numerical examples.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  9. Propulsion products SETS · Publication date not stated

    Hall thrusters, integrated systems, PPUs and feed-system products.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  10. Electric propulsion systems SETS · Publication date not stated

    In-house feed-component scope and matched Hall power/feed products.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  11. Space power product catalog ASP Equipment · Publication date not stated

    SPICA-virtus HET PPU electrical/mass/envelope data; distinct HEMPT version must not be substituted.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  12. ASP Equipment ASP Equipment · Publication date not stated

    Salem-Neufrach, Germany company location.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  13. Power electronics Airbus Crisa · Publication date not stated

    Gridded-ion PPU offering; not evidence of plug-compatible Hall power electronics.

    Accessed 2026-09-10
  14. Belgian electronics selected for Electra Thales Alenia Space · Published 2017-06-21

    Historical PPU Mk3 manufacture/qualification and Belgian production; current successor configuration requires confirmation.

    Accessed 2026-09-10