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ClearSpace and Orbit Fab Join Forces for Revolutionary In-Space Refueling Service
January 31, 2024
ClearSpace, a company specializing in in-orbit servicing, has announced a partnership with Orbit Fab, an on-orbit refueling specialist, to create new in-space refueling and servicing capabilities. Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the two companies will work together to accelerate the availability of propellants in space by creating a refueling service architecture.
This groundbreaking collaboration will involve pairing an Orbit Fab fuel depot with a ClearSpace shuttle. To facilitate the refueling process, Orbit Fab's RAFTI (Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface) refueling ports and GRIP robotic docking devices will be utilized.
The importance of refueling and Space Mobility and Logistics (SML) is increasing. SML refers to the challenge of replenishing spacecraft consumables. ClearSpace and Orbit Fab foresee this becoming a competitive advantage for operators of commercial satellites and service vehicles.
"ClearSpace and Orbit Fab are seeing growing demand in the U.S., UK, and around the world for service vehicles and refueling as government and commercial operators seek to boost the ROI of their missions and extend operations," said Luc Piguet, ClearSpace Co-Founder and CEO.
"Our RAFTI and GRIP refueling systems are the interfaces of choice for secure, sustainable in-space refueling operations, and our work with ClearSpace, both in the US and in the UK, is revolutionizing the capabilities that make extended satellite operations a reality," said Orbit Fab Founder and CEO, Daniel Faber.
The partnership between ClearSpace and Orbit Fab is not new. Orbit Fab has been supporting ClearSpace with the design of its CLEAR mission, which involves active debris removal and enabling the service vehicle to be refueled and reused. The CLEAR mission is funded by the UK Space Agency.
ClearSpace, based in Switzerland with offices in the UK, Germany, Luxembourg, and the US, and Orbit Fab, based in Lafayette, Colorado, are at the forefront of innovation in the field of in-space refueling and servicing. Their collaboration is set to revolutionize the capabilities that make extended satellite operations a reality.
Source: example.com
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