New Mexico — December 22, 2025 — Desert Works Propulsion (DWP) today announced the expansion of its domestic electric propulsion development and testing capabilities to address growing demand for advanced in-space mobility across national security and commercial space sectors. The expanded capabilities support next-generation ion propulsion systems designed for higher efficiency, longer operational life, and greater mission flexibility.
“There’s a growing gap in the U.S. space industrial base when it comes to maturing high-performance ion propulsion hardware,” said Pat Patterson, CEO of Desert Works Propulsion. “While much of the market has focused on Hall thrusters, mission needs are shifting toward higher–specific impulse, long-life ion architectures. Our goal is to provide a fully domestic, end-to-end pathway from early concepts to test-validated, production-ready hardware.”
To meet this demand, DWP has established an integrated development model that combines advanced propulsion design, in-house vacuum testing, and domestic fabrication. Central to this model is a formal manufacturing partnership with Jaguar Precision Machine, a veteran-owned, 35-year-old, AS9100-certified aerospace and defense manufacturer headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jaguar provides high-tolerance machining, inspection, and assembly capabilities for flight-critical propulsion hardware, enabling rapid iteration and scalable, U.S.-based production, while Desert Works Propulsion leads propulsion architecture, design, and overall technical direction.
DWP’s internal testing capabilities include:
- DW-1: An operational vacuum test facility supporting high-fidelity testing of electric propulsion components and subsystems. Successful test campaigns include programs aligned with NASA NEXT-class electric propulsion efforts and ion thruster cathode development for commercial spacecraft operators. Initial builds achieved performance comparable to higher-fidelity flight assemblies, demonstrating rapid progression from design to test-ready hardware.
- DW-2 (in development): A second vacuum test facility designed to expand internal throughput and enable parallel component- and subsystem-level testing. DW-2 will support higher test cadence and NEXT-class ion propulsion development, including extended life testing and higher operating envelopes.
“High-specific-impulse, long-life ion propulsion fundamentally changes how missions are designed,” said Michael Patterson, founder of Desert Works Propulsion. “If you can achieve the required performance and lifetime, you can reduce — and in some cases eliminate — the need for on-orbit refueling. Our focus is on giving U.S. missions a faster, domestic path from requirements to tested hardware.”
Michael Patterson previously served as Senior Technologist for In-Space Propulsion at NASA and led the design and development of every gridded ion thruster and hollow cathode flown by the agency over the past four decades, including systems on Deep Space 1, Dawn, DART, and the International Space Station. DWP’s broader team brings more than 200 years of combined electric propulsion experience and over 30 patents spanning NASA-heritage and commercial systems.
For spacecraft developers evaluating next-generation electric propulsion architectures, Desert Works Propulsion supports propulsion development at the component, subsystem, or full system level, from early concept collaboration through domestically built, test-validated hardware.
Contact Pat Patterson, Chief Executive Officer, at pfpatterson@desertworkspropulsion.com.
About Desert Works Propulsion, LLC
Desert Works Propulsion (DWP) is a U.S.-based electric propulsion company advancing next-generation ion propulsion systems for national security, civil, and commercial space missions. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in New Mexico, DWP focuses on high-performance, long-life electric propulsion architectures supported by an integrated domestic development pipeline spanning design, fabrication, and high-fidelity vacuum testing.
Learn more at desertworkspropulsion.com.
About Jaguar Precision Machine, LLC
Jaguar Precision Machine, LLC is a privately held, veteran-owned, 35-year-old aerospace and defense manufacturer headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company specializes in high-precision machining, inspection, and assembly of flight-critical hardware for aerospace and defense programs. Jaguar is AS9100 certified and ITAR registered, supporting customers that require the highest levels of quality, traceability, and process control.
Learn more at jaguarpm.com.
