DESERT WORKS PROPULSION
The physics are proven. The gap is execution.
Gridded-ion propulsion has already flown on the most demanding missions in space. The next evolution is translating the technology to fit today's spacecraft needs.
Desert Works Propulsion turns proven gridded-ion heritage into mission-fit U.S. hardware, test evidence, and qualification paths — for commercial and military missions where high delta-V, long life, and total impulse decide the outcome.
We move government, primes, and spacecraft companies from a mission profile to a propulsion path: faster, with less risk, and without having to invest in an internal team.
Gridded-Ion Propulsion For Missions That Have To Last
From Mission Profile To Hardware Evidence — Partner with Our Experts
for An Unmatched Competitive Edge
DWP supports electric-propulsion programs across the full path — requirement definition, gridded-ion architecture trades, component and subsystem testing, life modeling, qualification planning, and domestic hardware execution. The point is to reduce what you have to carry: less architecture guesswork, fewer late surprises in test, and a clearer route to qualification evidence.
In-House Testing Capabilities
Fabricating Thruster Solutions
Excellence Crafted for Your Vision
WORLD-CLASS EXPERTISE
IN ELECTRIC PROPULSION
NASA Gridded-Ion Heritage. Independent U.S. Execution.
Desert Works Propulsion is the trusted name in electric propulsion, bringing over 200 years of collective expertise to the forefront of enhanced mission performance.
DWP is led by Michael J. Patterson, former NASA Senior Technologist for In-Space Propulsion, alongside a senior bench with deep experience in gridded-ion design, cathodes, plume physics, thrust stands, fabrication, integration, vacuum testing, diagnostics, and electric-propulsion commercialization.
Our legacy is one of innovation and success, and we’re not done yet. See our achievements.
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DISCOVER OUR LATEST EP
• DISCOVER OUR LATEST EP
Desert Work Propulsion’s
Innovative EP Technology
ANNULAR ION ENGINE
The scalable AIE technology revolutionizes electric propulsion with superior thrust density and thrust-to-power ratio, surpassing traditional ion and Hall-effect thrusters.
TIE-20 SYSTEM
The TIE-20 is an advanced Gridded Ion Thruster that offers extended lifetime, high specific impulse, and improved reliability, establishing a new standard in electric propulsion.
IONPRO™ Series
The patent-pending IONPRO™ Series ushers in a new era in engine design with its modular construction for reconfigurability and optimized missions, offering a cost-effective solution.
OUR CLIENTS
+ PARTNERS
WHO WE WORK WITH
Government / Mission Owners
Define the requirement-fit path before assumptions lock in. Bring a mission profile or capability gap; DWP helps translate maneuver need into propulsion requirements, architecture trades, evidence needs, and the right pathway.
Primes / Spacecraft Companies
Turn a propulsion bottleneck into a scoped work package: architecture trades, cathode/life work, test campaigns, qualification planning, and proposal support — without competing for your customer.
Investors / Strategic Partners
Scale a scarce U.S. gridded-ion execution stack: active work, IP, test infrastructure, a domestic build path, and future product upside.