The development and execution of prospective inner and outer space missions require focusing on the use of many small space vehicles operating in swarms with multiple informational, navigational, and mission-oriented interactions among themselves. Such missions involve providing communication and surveillance services, facilitating distributed material production in space, and conducting research expeditions to explore the resources and environments of new worlds. The cornerstone technology for operating distributed space systems is propulsion. Among a range of propulsion technologies—from using pressurized cold gases to implementing laser beams to generate thrust—certain methods stand out for application in small spacecraft. This paper provides a summary of space-operated propulsion, emphasizing the reasons for the more frequent adoption of one technology over another. The discussion on propulsion trends is complemented by examining the physical, engineering, production, operational, and societal rationale behind these choices. The findings reinforce the trend toward transitioning to fully electric satellites. This review serves as a means for reevaluating global propulsion trends and guiding the future development of inner and outer space propulsion-assisted economies effectively.

The development of prospective inner and outer space economies focuses on the use of bunch of small space vehicles operated as a quasi-single artificial organism. Such economies include the need for using swarms of small satellites providing communication and surveillance services, being a distributed materials production plant in space, or performing research expedition to study the resources and environments of the new worlds. The use of multiple space vehicles performing tasks as a quasi-single system makes the execution of such missions resilient by reducing the failure risks that is higher for the single-vehicled mission, especially performed in deep space. The core technology for operating distributed space systems is propulsion. From a variety of propulsion technologies ranging from the use of the pressurized cold gas to the implementation of laser beams destroying the surface of solid propellants to generate thrust, some stands out for small spacecraft applications. In this work, the summary on the space-operated propulsion is provided by highlighting the impetus of more frequent use of one technology over other. The discussion on the trends in propulsion is supported by the discussion on the physical, engineering, production, operational, and societal rationales overview. This review serves as the mean for reevaluating of the global propulsion trends and guiding the future inner and outer space propulsion assisting economies effective development.