DSI’s Comet is a water-based electrothermal propulsion system. Credit: Deep Space Industries

Space systems manufacturer Bradford Space has purchased Deep Space Industries (DSI) for an undisclosed sum.

DSI was established in 2012 in order to mine resources of asteroids. The company has also developed a water-based electrothermal propulsion system called Comet.

The latest deal has enabled Bradford to expand its presence in the US with an outlet and location for conducting space-related activities.

It has also allowed Bradford to assume ownership and support the development of DSI’s Xplorer mission bus, which is designed to facilitate low-cost deep space missions.

“We believe in developing and exploring the riches of the solar system and we want to be among the ones to make it happen.”

DSI will also be rebranded as Bradford Space, Inc. (BSI) and continue its current operations in San Jose, California, US, under the leadership of Bradford.

Bradford director Ian Fichtenbaum said: “The DSI team provided very innovative solutions to the problem of exploring the solar system at a reasonable cost, and we are eager to see if that can be developed with the help of Bradford technologies.

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“We believe in developing and exploring the riches of the solar system and we want to be among the ones to make it happen.”

According to Bradford, the inclusion of DSI’s Comet product line is expected to help the company to provide non-toxic space propulsion systems.

The product line will complement Bradford’s ECAPS ‘green’ propulsion systems, which have already been used on 15 orbiting spacecraft and will be utilised on the missions that are planned to be launched this year.

Four spacecraft featuring Comet systems and three spacecraft that were recently launched as part of the Spaceflight SSO-A mission were equipped with ECAPS propulsion systems.