The Space Show Presents Max Arshavsky and Sebastian Wieczorek from Zenno Astronautics Re Their Superconducting Magnetic Technology For Space Applications

The Space Show Presents Zenno Astronautics Max Arshavsky, Co-founder & CEO plus Sebastian Wieczorek, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, August 4, 2026

Quick Summary:

The Tuesday Evening Space Show featured co-founders Max Arshavsky and Sebastian Wieczorek from Zenno Astronautics, a New Zealand company developing superconducting magnetic technology for space applications. Max explained their flagship product, the SuperTorquer, which uses powerful superconducting magnets cooled to 70 Kelvin to provide satellite stabilization and pointing control, currently operating on an Impulse Space satellite in low Earth orbit. Sebastian described their plans to re-domicile the company to the United States, with a new facility in Torrance, Los Angeles, and discussed their upcoming mission with Portal Space Systems featuring a 40 times more powerful magnet than their current deployment. The discussion covered applications including satellite stabilization, electromagnetic launch systems, radiation shielding, and potential uses in lunar infrastructure and cislunar transportation. The company has achieved Technology Readiness Level 9 and secured approximately $16 million in funding, with plans to pursue Series A funding in 2027.

Detailed Summary:

Marshall discussed positive economic indicators including low inventory levels across US companies and reduced Chinese oil consumption, which he believed would benefit stock markets. David introduced Sebastian who joined the call from New Zealand, revealing he has an engineering background and met his Co-founder while studying at the University of Auckland. Max, Sebastian’s Co-founder was expected to join the call soon.

The program began with introductions for a live space show, featuring David as the host and guests including Marshall, John, and Max plus others that joined later. David introduced the evening’s topic, which would focus on Zenno Astronautics, a New Zealand company that achieved a major industry milestone by becoming the first to successfully operate a superconducting product in space with their Z01 Super Torquer onboard an Impulse Space Mirror satellite.

Max explained Zenno’s technology, which focuses on creating powerful, compact, and controllable superconducting magnetic fields in space to convert solar energy into useful work. He described their first product, Super Torquer, which enables satellite stabilization by interacting with Earth’s magnetic field, replacing traditional reaction wheels and fuel systems. Max clarified that while the physics behind their technology is similar to torque rods, their engineering approach uses superconducting coils without a ferromagnetic core.

Max and Sebastian discussed their development of superconducting magnetic dipoles, explaining that their technology can create orders of magnitude more powerful magnets in a compact format compared to previous systems. They described how superconducting wire eliminates resistance and heating issues that limit traditional electromagnets, though the magnets require extremely low operating temperatures below 70 Kelvin. Sebastian explained that while they initially hoped the space industry would fund development, they had to self-fund their first demonstration in 2023 and a commercial product in 2025, which has since been received well by the industry. The team reported that their current space demonstration is working better than expected, particularly the cooling system, and they have integrated an even more powerful magnet with Portal Space Systems for launch in October.

Max and Sebastian discussed their development of a powerful magnetic actuator for space applications, which they described as the most powerful magnetic actuator ever flown to space. Sebastian explained that REBCO tape technology has significantly advanced their capabilities, with costs dropping from $200-300 per meter a decade ago to $10-50 per meter currently due to demand from the nuclear fusion industry. The team is exploring radiation shielding applications using magnetic fields, with their “Almighty” magnet containing radiation sensors to empirically measure protection capabilities.

The discussion focused on applications of radiation shielding technology in space, particularly for Mars missions and data centers. Sebastian explained that their magnetic field technology could shield against harmful charged particles like electrons and protons, though stronger magnetic fields would be needed for deep space missions compared to Earth’s Van Allen belts. Max described potential applications for data centers in low orbit, noting that their SuperTorquer product could provide magnetic stabilization as an alternative to reaction wheels, which tend to fail after 10 years. The conversation also covered power requirements, with Sebastian explaining that their system requires approximately 40 watts of input power and scales relatively well for stronger magnetic fields, with most power consumption dedicated to cooling rather than increasing linearly with magnetic field strength.

Max explained that their spacecraft stabilization product can control vehicles weighing up to 5 tons, with plans to double the strength to match Hubble Space Telescope’s capabilities. Max also discussed their electromagnetic launch work using superconducting coils to accelerate payloads in space, noting the advantages of superconducting technology for energy storage. When asked about deep space applications, Max clarified that their current stabilization product requires Earth’s magnetic field and hasn’t been developed for deep space missions, though other technologies like superconducting energy storage could work in such environments.

Max discussed their company’s development of superconducting magnetic technology for space applications, primarily focusing on satellite stabilization in geostationary orbit. The technology uses a miniature cryo-cooler based on Stirling cycle engines to actively and passively manage temperatures, with Sebastian explaining that the system operates autonomously similar to a kitchen fridge. Max announced that the company is relocating from New Zealand to Torrance, Los Angeles, and is exploring applications in defense and space markets beyond their current commercial contracts with Mitsubishi Electric and a German federal agency.

The discussion focused on Zenno’s superconducting technology for spacecraft stabilization, with Sebastian and Max explaining their applications in in-orbit manufacturing and commercial space stations. The company currently has about 10 engineers in New Zealand and plans to relocate to the US within six to eight weeks, with plans to hire American engineers while bringing one or two engineers from New Zealand. Max revealed they have raised $16 million USD in seed funding and are planning a Series A round in 2027, with their first product being deployed just six weeks prior to the meeting.

The discussion addressed cislunar space infrastructure, particularly mass drivers and electromagnetic launch systems for transporting cargo between Earth and the Moon. Max and Sebastian from Zeno explained their company’s development of superconducting magnets for space applications, highlighting their upcoming launch of the world’s most powerful space magnet with a magnetic dipole moment of 4,000 meters squared. The conversation included technical details about how supercooling magnets enhances their strength to the equivalent of half a ton of force, and the group discussed practical applications like lunar mass drivers and orbital refueling systems.

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