MEYER composite cylinders (HDRX series) and high-pressure regulators (HDRX-R450) are flying in CubeSats and nanosats, providing the propellant storage and pressure regulation for cold-gas thrusters.
For propulsion teams, every gram of dry mass costs payload. MEYER components are designed to minimize that overhead while meeting program qualification requirements.
Why MEYER for CubeSat propulsion
- Volumetrically efficient — packs into 1U, 1.5U, and 3U envelopes
- Compatible with N₂, He, Xe and other inert gases used in cold-gas and resistojet systems
- Pressure regulators custom-tuned to specific thruster inlet pressures
- Up to 70% mass savings versus all-metal cylinders; up to 45% up to 45% lighter than Type 3 COPVs of equivalent capacity
- In-orbit heritage across customer programs we cannot disclose
Lead times
- Regulator prototypes: 3–5 months
- Custom COPVs: 12–24 months from concept to qualification
Ready to start?
Tell us about your project — our engineers will respond with feasibility, ballpark specs, and timing.
Why every gram counts on a CubeSat
On a CubeSat or nanosat, propellant tank dry mass directly trades against payload. A propulsion module typically occupies 0.5U–1U and must hit a tight mass budget — often under 250 g for a 1U platform. Type IV PET-lined cylinders pack into the smallest envelope per litre of internal volume, which is why MEYER HDRX cylinders fly on cold-gas modules where the alternative would not close the mass budget.
Gas selection & regulator matching
- Nitrogen (N2): the safe default. Compatible with most materials. ~17 g/L at 300 bar storage.
- Helium: high specific impulse but permeates polymer liners — viable for short-mission CubeSats, not for long-duration storage.
- Xenon: heavy noble gas, low permeation, used in resistojet and electric propulsion architectures. ~590 g/L at 300 bar.
- Argon, Krypton: niche but supported on request.
The regulator (typically HDRX-R450 for high-inlet, custom design otherwise) must hold outlet pressure stable across the full blowdown range. For 1U modules, single-stage suffices when thrust precision tolerance is ±10%. For tighter thrust budgets, two-stage regulation is the right call.
Launch & orbit qualification
Typical CubeSat shock spec is 1500 g, vibration 14 g RMS sine, thermal cycling −40 to +80 °C, vacuum 10−6 mbar. NanoRacks, ISS deployment, and ESA programmes each have specific qualification requirements — specify these at RFQ. Materials traceability and cleanroom handling are typically required for flight units; we ship with the documentation package and traceable lot numbers.
