Russia's Roscosmos test-fires Satellite Thruster powered by radioactive krypton gas

Russia's State Space Corporation 'Roscosmos' on Friday test-fired an "innovative type of satellite thruster" that was powered by the radioactive Krypton gas which was used for propulsion. Krypton is touted as a gas much cheaper than standard xenon, according to Russia's state-affiliated news agency Sputnik. "Experimental design bureau Fakel and Keldysh Research Center have for the first time [in Russia] tested a stationary plasma jet engine, SPT-70M, using krypton as a propellant," Roscosmos noted in a statement carried by the agency. 

Xenon gas challenge for scientists—expensive, short in supply

A thruster of a rocket is the propulsion device that manages the attitude control, and acceleration of the rocket, switching between altitudes as part of the control system, and sometimes de-orbit. Scientists have been using Xenon as the main gas for the electric propulsion engines for rocket launches. Xenon, although, is expensive. Sputnik quoted Roscosmos CEO Gennady Abramenkov as saying that the gas has also been short in supply for use and that the Russian space agency has since been exploring alternative gas options to power satellite engines. IJERT space journal describes the rocket propellant as a component that is formed out of a high-speed propulsive jet of fluid with a high-temperature xenon gas. 

Russia's space agency plans to manufacture a communication and Earth remote sensing constellation as early as 2030. Mosocw's first-ever mega constellation of 264 satellites will help with broadband and Earth observation capabilities. In an interview with Russian Space, Sergey Prokhorov, Director of the Department of Prospective Programs and the SFERA Project, said that several meetings were held in Moscow, including with the Russian Ministry of Finance overseen by the Deputy Prime Minister for the Defense Industry Complex Yuri Borisov, and President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin then approved funding for the Sphere project at an estimated 7 billion rubles [US $92.47 million] in the year 2021, plus an additional 7 billion [US $92.47 million] was also allocated from 2022 to 2024.