"The company is planning to launch a 1,100-pound satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket in October as part of an audacious proof of concept. The goal is to test water as the fuel for both electrical and chemical propulsion, processes that involve shooting out a stream of plasma with the use of a magnetic field and burning fuel at high temperature and pressure to generate thrust, respectively."
"In a separate experiment, the company will turn oxygen generated by electrolysis into plasma by applying a strong electrical current. It's an ambitious plan that aims to show that water can be used for both short and steady "burps" of thrust in the case of electrical propulsion, and much more powerful but short-lived bursts of thrust in the case of chemical propulsion."
"Mattison told Wired that the tech could be used to give military assets in space a much-needed boost. US satellites have already been found to be closely shadowed by Chinese and Russian ones, hinting at a future that could require satellites to defend themselves or flee danger in orbit. But despite Mattison and his company's optimism, relying on water for rocket propulsion is nowhere near a safe bet, and plenty of questions remain unanswered."
Halen Mattison's startup General Galactic plans to launch a 1,100-pound satellite on a Falcon 9 to test water as spacecraft propellant. The company will evaluate both electrical and chemical propulsion using water-derived products. Chemical tests will split water via electrolysis to produce hydrogen and oxygen, then burn hydrogen with oxygen as the oxidizer. Electrical tests will convert electrolyzed oxygen into plasma using strong electrical currents and magnetic fields to produce steady low-thrust. The effort aims to demonstrate short steady "burps" of thrust and powerful short bursts, potentially enabling satellites to maneuver or evade close shadowing, though technical uncertainties remain.
Read at Futurism
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