IT-12
Ion Thruster Array
Twelve independently gimballed nozzles that give a heavy hull the manoeuvring authority of something half its mass.
UNIT PRICE
148,000 GCR
LEAD TIME
30 standard days
RATING
12-nozzle cluster
Specification
| Nozzle count | 12, independently gimballed ±22° |
|---|---|
| Thrust (per nozzle) | 4.1 kN vacuum |
| Specific impulse | 6,200 s |
| Cold-start time | 11 seconds to 90% thrust |
| Propellant | Xenon or refined tibanna |
| Service life | 40,000 hours continuous |
| Mass | 690 kg per cluster |
| Certification | Sublight Manoeuvring Standard 12-C |
Flight notes
- Twelve nozzles gimbal independently, so the array translates the hull without rotating it.
- Eleven seconds to 90% thrust from a genuinely cold array, not from standby.
- Runs xenon or refined tibanna on a software profile swap and a purge cycle.
- Losing a nozzle costs you thrust, not attitude authority — the remaining eleven re-trim.
HULL COMPATIBILITY
Sublight manoeuvring is where crews actually spend their time. Docking, station-keeping, holding attitude while somebody outside re-seats a panel — the IT-12 exists for the unglamorous ninety-nine percent of a flight profile.
Twelve gimbals beat one big nozzle
A single large thruster gives you thrust in one direction and a torque problem in every other. The IT-12's twelve nozzles gimbal independently through 22 degrees, which means the array can translate the hull without rotating it — the difference between a controlled approach to a docking collar and an expensive conversation with a station master.
Cold start, honestly
Eleven seconds to ninety percent thrust from a genuinely cold array. Not eleven seconds from standby, which is what most manufacturers quote. If you have been drifting dark for six hours and need to move, the IT-12 moves.
Propellant flexibility
The array runs on xenon or refined tibanna without a hardware change — a software profile swap and a purge cycle. In the outer systems where xenon is a luxury item, this is the difference between flying and waiting.
Fitting notes
Clusters mount to any standard hardpoint ring and can be fitted in banks of two, four or six. Most freighter operators run four. See our cold-start procedures for deep-space warm-up practice.
Also in Propulsion
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Open a work order
Tell us what you fly. We'll tell you what fits.
Send a hull class and a mission profile and our systems engineers will return a fitted parts list, a lead time and a drydock window — usually within one standard day.