Our Missions
Two missions. One roadmap. From a lunar-orbit demonstrator to the first commercial Mars sample return, every flight builds on the last, with capabilities extending to asteroids and beyond.
Demo-0
Demo-0 is Ion's inaugural flight: a small-scale demonstrator mission designed to validate our ion propulsion platform in cislunar space. The spacecraft will carry eight units of cubesats as secondary payloads, deploying them into lunar orbit while proving out the core systems that will power Return-1.
This mission is about building flight heritage. Every subsystem, from propulsion, power, comms, to guidance, gets tested in the real environment before we commit to our ambitious next-generation deep space journey. Demo-0 is the foundation for our future endeavors.
By flying cubesat payloads, we also open early commercial access to lunar orbit for research institutions, startups, and government partners looking for affordable rideshare opportunities beyond LEO without waiting for missions such as Artemis III and Lunar Gateway.
Mission Type
Demonstrator
Cislunar flight test of the Ion propulsion platform with secondary cubesat deployment.
Destination
Lunar orbit
Low-thrust spiral transfer from Earth orbit to lunar orbit, validating deep space trajectory capabilities.
Payloads
Cubesats
Eight units of cubesat payloads deployed into lunar orbit as part of the demonstration mission profile.
Target Launch
2028
First flight of the Ion platform, building heritage ahead of the Return-1 Mars mission.
Return-1
Return-1 is our primary target: the first commercial Mars sample return mission. Building directly on Demo-0's flight heritage, this mission sends an Ion-propelled spacecraft to Mars, collects surface regolith, and returns it to Earth for delivery to customers, governments, and research institutions.
The mission leverages Ion's high-efficiency propulsion to operate on flexible launch windows rather than the traditional 26-month Mars transfer cadence. This flexibility is key to maintaining schedule discipline and managing risk across the program.
Return-1 targets approximately one kilogram of Martian regolith, with a guaranteed minimum allocation of 100 grams. No private company has ever returned material from another planet, so we build in margin accordingly. Early preorder customers will be supplied first.
Mission Type
Sample return
Full round-trip Mars mission: transit, surface collection, and Earth return via ion propulsion.
Sample Target
~1 kg
Approximately 1 kilo of Martian regolith collected from the surface and returned to Earth.
Launch Window
Q3 2031
Targeted launch on a quarterly-available window enabled by ion propulsion efficiency.
Estimated Return
2034 - 2035
Sample delivery to Earth, followed by BSL-4 biosafety analysis and release to customers.
Built for any destination
Propulsion
8x efficiency
Our ion thrusters achieve specific impulse roughly eight times greater than chemical rockets, enabling missions that were previously cost-prohibitive.
Destinations
Full solar system
Lunar orbit, Mars, near-Earth asteroids, and deep space trajectories.
Our platform is designed for flexibility, not single-destination
missions.
Our preliminary target markets are Lunar and Martian orbit, where we will
have the most payload rideshare availability
Scheduling
Flexible Launch
No dependence on infrequent planetary alignment windows. Continuous
low-thrust spirals allow flexible departure scheduling year-round.
Please note we are dependant on orbital launch vehicle availability, a
factor outside our control, although the launch cadence of commercial vehicles
has increased dramatically over the years to up to multiple launches a
week
Payload Capacity
Scalable
Modular payload bays accommodate instruments and cargo from cubesats to hundreds of kilograms. Custom configurations are available for specialized missions.
Mission Types
Multi-role
Sample return, reconnaissance, payload deployment, communications relays, and deep space logistics - the same platform adapts to diverse mission profiles and is designed for high delta-v missions.
Cost Structure
Commercial rates
What was once limited to billion-dollar government programs is now accessible to research institutions, startups, and commercial ventures at commercial rates. Payloads can be delivered to deep-space destinations for roughly 2x-3x the cost of current LEO deployments.
Be part of the mission
Reserve your Martian regolith sample or inquire about payload opportunities on Demo-0, Return-1, or future missions to any destination.