Orbit Fab, founded in 2018, is a pioneering American startup and in-space refueling company dedicated to developing and deploying propellant and material supply chain infrastructure in space, including "Gas Stations in Space™". Orbit Fab aims to extend the lifespan and operational capabilities of satellites by providing on-orbit refueling services, utilizing its Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI) and fuel depot satellites. Key partners and customers include the U.S. Space Force, Astroscale, and the UK Space Agency; they offer Hydrazine, High Test Peroxide, Green Monopropellants, Water, and Nitrogen. Associated keywords: satellite refueling, in-space services, propellant supply, space logistics, RAFTI, fuel depots.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Orbit Fab's ASTRAL project will validate the company’s RAFTI and GRASP refueling interfaces.
The ASTRAL mission will represent the first in Europe and for Orbit Fab’s UK subsidiary.
The ASTRAL consortium will use Orbit Fab’s GRASP interface to dock with a target spacecraft on orbit.
Orbit Fab expects to receive more funding and add additional European partners to the consortium in the spring.
The UK Space Agency awarded Orbit Fab a £1.3 million Major Project grant under the National Space Innovation Program to fund the design of a high-pressure variant of the RAFTI™ refueling port.
Orbit Fab is collaborating with Magdrive to develop a replaceable solid-fuel cartridge for Magdrive’s propulsion system.
Orbit Fab received a £500,000 prime contract for the phase 1 design of a mission to refuel a future UK Active Debris Removal spacecraft.
Orbit Fab received a £165,000 contract with the European Space Agency via City University London.
The UK Space Agency is announcing two other projects as part of the National Space Innovation Program that Orbit Fab is supporting.
Lockheed Martin is investing in space refueling company Orbit Fab as a future pillar for the space economy.
The TRL-7 Sparrow (formerly Scout-Vision) hardware and software demonstrated operational success onboard the Orbit Fab TANKER-001 mission in 2021 by producing commercial, non-Earth imagery and space data products.
The DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contracted with Orbit Fab for the first in-space fuel sale in GEO and selected Orbit Fab’s RAFTI fueling port and GRIP for its RAPIDS Refueling and Fuel Depot initiative.
Orbit Fab expects to produce about 100 RAFTI units 2024.
The Astroscale Prototype Servicer for Refueling (APS-R), ready to launch in 2026 to conduct multiple refueling missions in GEO, will be equipped with Orbit Fab’s RAFTI and GRIP.
Orbit Fab set the price for the RAFTI refueling port at $30,000 per unit on 2024-03-19.
Orbit Fab based the $30,000 RAFTI unit price on market research into the pricing of fill and drain valves used across the satellite industry.
Orbit Fab plans to deliver the first 100 RAFTI units to U.S. government and commercial customers over the next year.
Orbit Fab is investing in the United Kingdom and expanding its operations there.
Orbit Fab has successfully enabled three test missions without regulatory issues to date.
Orbit Fab's Daniel Faber expressed concerns about U.S. export restrictions under ITAR affecting international spacecraft docking.