Orbit Fab and Airbus collaborate on satellite refuelling

Above: Orbit Fab at Space Comm Expo Europe held at ExCeL in London last week (4th-5th March).
Courtesy Orbit Fab

At a time of increasing congestion and competition in orbit, refuelling is a potential solution to extend mission lifetimes, reduce replacement costs and increase flexibility to move satellites in response to demand. Refuelling also opens up possibilities for new types of Dynamic Space Operations for defence users who need to manoeuvre their satellites to evade adversaries. Commercial and defence satellites are each aiming to enhance their resilience by removing one of the limiting factors in satellite life – a lack of propellant.

The RADICAL project aims to increase the competitiveness of European telecom satellite operators and manufacturers by preparing them for Orbit Fab’s refuelling operations.  Under the RADICAL project, Orbit Fab works with satellite companies like Airbus to understand the required adaptations to the mission operations, system engineering and platform design to enable refuelling.

Jacob Geer, the Managing Director of Orbit Fab in Europe, said: “We are pleased to be working with such a significant company as Airbus on the topic of in orbit refuelling. Combining Orbit Fab’s market leading RAFTI technology with the deep platform and propulsion knowledge of Airbus will enhance Europe’s competitiveness in the crucial Telecoms sector. As the orbital environment and Telecoms market evolves, adopting new services like refuelling is essential to respond to these changing conditions.”

Kata Escott, the Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK, said: “We are so proud to be working with Orbit Fab on this exciting project. Collaboration across the UK space sector is what turns bold ideas into breakthrough capabilities. By working together we are accelerating innovation and strengthening our national space ecosystem.”

Henny Sands, the Head of Telecommunications at the UK Space Agency, said: “We are pleased to support this critical use of in orbit servicing to support the changing telecommunications market. It’s a great example of how adaptive UK industry is to changing requirements at a global level.”

Orbit Fab is headquartered in Colorado with a significant European presence in the UK. It has the infrastructure to make it easy for any satellite to be refuelled in orbit. With the first fuel depot already in orbit and four fuel delivery systems launching over the next two years, the company can deliver fuel to dozens of client satellites that are now equipped with the RAFTI refuelling interface.