HIPATIA (HelIcon PlasmA Thruster for In-Space Applications) project was awarded with a European Commission H2020 grant for the development of the HPT (Helicon Plasma Thruster) and the technologies associated to it. The project pursues the verification of the functionality and performances of an Electric Propulsion (EP) system based on the HPT technology, for its application in small spacecraft. With a duration of 36 months, the project has achieved several goals during the first 18 months of progress, including the development, integration and functional test demonstration of the units in the HIPATIA system: Thruster Unit (TU), Radiofrequency Generation and Power Unit (RFGPU) and the Propellant Flow Control Unit (PFCU). These three units have also been coupled for an extensive test campaign during 2021 that has produced the first set of results for the HIPATIA system performances, which will be reported herein.