E-Sailors: Hair-thin Electrically Charged Threads Tame the Solar Wind – TU Dresden Explores the Propellantless Space Propulsion of the Future

The Chair of Space Systems at TU Dresden is a partner in the newly launched EU Horizon Europe project “E-Sailors”, which aims to pave the way for a revolutionary and sustainable form of space propulsion — the Electric Solar Wind Sail (E-sail).

Coordinated by the University of Tartu (Estonia), researchers from ten European countries are working together to advance this innovative technology from demonstration missions in low Earth orbit to operational use in the interplanetary environment.

The E-sail is a novel, propellantless propulsion system that uses electrically charged, hair-thin, kilometer-long tethers to deflect the solar wind and generate continuous thrust — entirely without fuel consumption. This groundbreaking technology holds immense potential for sustainable and cost-efficient space exploration, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in the research and utilization of outer space.