Orbit Fab is an American startup based in Lafayette, Colorado, United States, that develops in-space refueling systems for satellites.
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| Orbit Fab | |
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Space |
| Headquarters | 1460 Overlook Drive, , |
Number of employees | 72 (2023)[1] |
| Website | orbitfab |
History
editOrbit Fab was founded by CEO Daniel Faber[2] and CDO Jeremy Schiel[3] in 2018 to extend the lifetime of satellites.[4]
In 2019, the company completed testing of a fuel-transfer system aboard the International Space Station, demonstrating the ability to transfer fuel between spacecraft in microgravity. In the experiment, water was first transferred between two small satellites, and later the water was inserted into the water supply of the space station, making Orbit Fab the first private company to supply water to the ISS with its own proprietary equipment and processes.[5]
On June 24, 2021, Orbit Fab launched Tanker-001, a test device for its depot satellites. Tanker-001 weighs 35 kg (77 lb) and was used to test the refueling system.[6]
The company plans to launch its refueling service to geostationary orbit in 2025.[7] On May 26, 2023, the company announced that it had selected an Impulse Space Mira spacecraft as a fuel depot to perform an on-orbit refueling demonstration test for the U.S. military in 2025. The demonstration will attempt to refuel the USSF Tetra-5 spacecraft with approximately 50 kilograms (110 lb) of hydrazine propellant using Orbit Fab's RAFTI refueling port.[8]
Products
editRefueling service
editOrbit Fab is developing in-space refueling systems to increase the lifespans of satellites that are in need of additional fuel. The company currently has a contract to refuel satellite-servicing satellites for Astroscale in geostationary orbit with 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) of xenon fuel[9] in addition to a total of US$21 million in defense contracts, including a SpaceWERX contract for a proximity and rendezvous demonstration, a US$13.3 million contract with the United States Department of Defense for in-space refueling of geostationary United States Space Force satellites,[10] and a STRATFI mission for the development of docking ports.[11]
The company is working to provide fuel-replenishment through a docking system using their self-developed port system called RAFTI, eliminating the need for robotic arms to grapple spacecraft. The company is planning to send depot spacecraft into different orbits, and satellites will either refuel themselves at the depot or to use "fuel shuttle" spacecraft provided by Orbit Fab. Fuel will be provided starting in 2025 in geostationary orbit for US$20 million per 100 kilograms (220 lb) hydrazine,[7] although the company has also announced plans to provide other fuels, including xenon, water, and nitrogen, and expand its services to other orbits in the future.[12]
The company also announced plans to partner with Astroscale and Northrop Grumman to refuel satellites that do not yet have RAFTI ports.[7]
RAFTI
editThe Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI) was developed by Orbit Fab as a standard refueling port for spacecraft. Orbit Fab has released its specifications openly on its website.
The RAFTI has a size of 45 x 75 x 75 mm, a weight of 500 grams (18 oz), and operates under either 650 psi (4,500 kPa) or 3,000 psi (21,000 kPa).[13]
UMPIRE
editOrbit Fab developed a mission analysis software called UMPIRE (Universal Mission Planner for Investigating Refueling Effectiveness) that allows users to plan their mission and spacecraft using the refueling systems provided by Orbit Fab.[14]
Funding
editOrbit Fab raised US$3 million in 2019,[15] and it raised US$28.5 million in a Series A funding round in April 2023.[16][17]
References
edit- ^ "Orbit Fab Company Profile: Valuation & Investors". PitchBook. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "Daniel Faber". The Executive. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "Jeremy Schiel". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "About Us — Orbit Fab | Spacecraft Refueling". Orbit Fab. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (June 19, 2019). "Orbit Fab Demonstrates Satellite Refueling Technology on Space Station". Space.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Bultitude, James; Burkhardt, Zach; Harris, Maya; Jelderda, Mark; Suresh, Srinivasan; Fettes, Logan; Faber, Daniel; Schiel, Jeremy; Cho, James; Levitt, David; Kees, Devin; Gallucci, Sergio (August 7, 2021). "Development and Launch of the World's First Orbital Propellant Tanker". Small Satellite Conference.
- ^ a b c Foust, Jeff (August 30, 2022). "Orbit Fab announces in-space hydrazine refueling service". SpaceNews. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ Erwin, Sandra (May 25, 2023). "Orbit Fab selects Impulse Space's orbital vehicle for in-space refueling demo". SpaceNews. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ Erwin, Sandra (January 11, 2022). "Orbit Fab secures deal to refuel Astroscale's satellite-servicing robots". SpaceNews. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ "Colorado Startup Wins $13.3 Million US Contract for Satellite Refueling". Bloomberg.com. October 11, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Zisk, Rachael (April 18, 2023). "Orbit Fab Closes $28.5M Series A". Payload. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "Orbit Fab". JAXA Business Development and Industrial Relations Department. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "RAFTI - Rapid Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface". Orbital Transports. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "UMPIRE — Orbit Fab | Spacecraft Refueling". Orbit Fab. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Etherington, Darrell (October 3, 2019). "Orbit Fab raises $3M to make orbital refueling easier, cheaper and more accessible". TechCrunch. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Jewett, Rachel (April 17, 2023). "Orbit Fab Raises $28.5M in its Series A Round". Via Satellite. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ Zisk, Rachael (April 18, 2023). "Orbit Fab Closes $28.5M Series A". Payload. Retrieved April 21, 2023.