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.
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Orbit Fab described the Series A as an up round that increased the company valuation to just over $100,000,000.
Orbit Fab is a Colorado-based company developing in-space satellite refueling services.
The 2023-04-17 Series A funding round for Orbit Fab was led by 8090 Industries.
Orbit Fab raised $28,500,000 in a Series A funding round announced on 2023-04-17.
Orbit Fab plans to hire 25 more employees with the new Series A funding.
Starfish flight tested the rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking software planned for the Otter mission in 2021 during Orbit Fab’s spacecraft LEO refueling demonstration.
Orbit Fab launched its first small tanker, Tenzing, to test operations of future tankers for refueling satellites.
Orbit Fab lined up 8090 Industries as a new major investor on 2022-10-25.
Orbit Fab will offer in-space hydrazine refueling at a price of $20,000,000 starting in 2025.
The Defense Innovation Unit awarded Orbit Fab a $13,300,000 contract to supply hydrazine to a Defense Department spacecraft in geostationary orbit in 2025.
Orbit Fab had previously raised a total of $17 million, including more than $10,000,000 in a September 2021 funding round that included Lockheed Martin Ventures and Northrop Grumman.
Since its establishment in 2017, Techstars Los Angeles has provided funding and guidance for HydroSat, Morpheus Space, Orbit Fab, Pixxel Space, and Scout Space.
The first Scout Space sensing payload launched in June 2021 on Orbit Fab’s on-orbit refueling spacecraft and is currently in operation.
Orbit Fab is developing a geostationary-orbit fuel depot and a separate fuel shuttle spacecraft to service GEO satellites.
Orbit Fab will start offering hydrazine refueling for satellites in geostationary orbit as soon as 2025 at a price of $20,000,000.
Orbit Fab will work with servicing vehicles from companies such as Astroscale and Northrop Grumman to refuel legacy GEO satellites.
Orbit Fab will provide up to 100 kg of hydrazine for a $20,000,000 refueling service.
Orbit Fab plans to operate its depot in a “service lane” orbit approximately 300 km above geostationary orbit.
In 2021, Orbit Fab deployed an on-orbit refueling vehicle equipped with Scout Space’s spaceflight vision system.
Bidders for the Tetra-5 program must install refueling ports in the satellites and may use refueling interfaces developed by Orbit Fab or by Northrop Grumman.