Write a comment
Orbit Fab, the Gas Stations in Space refueling service provider and Astroscale U.S. Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc. and market leader in securing long-term orbital sustainability, has announced a commercial agreement to refuel Astroscale's Life Extension In-Orbit (LEXI) Servicer in geostationary orbit (GEO); LEXI is the first satellite designed to be refueled.
Under t Orbit Fab, the Gas Stations in Space refueling service provider and Astroscale U.S. Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc. and market leader in securing long-term orbital sustainability, has announced a commercial agreement to refuel Astroscale's Life Extension In-Orbit (LEXI) Servicer in geostationary orbit (GEO); LEXI is the first satellite designed to be refueled.
Under the terms of this initial agreement, Orbit Fab's GEO fuel shuttle will resupply Astroscale's fleet of LEXI Servicers with up to 1,000 kilograms of Xenon propellant. With this purchase, Astroscale has greatly expanded LEXI's scope and flexibility to perform on-orbit servicing missions - a benefit for every customer.
"This agreement represents a transformational moment for space sustainability and the on-orbit servicing market," said Ron Lopez, Astroscale U.S. President and Managing Director. "Astroscale and Orbit Fab are strengthening the value proposition for GEO life extension customers, driving new business models between on-orbit servicing companies in the space ecosystem and making orbital operations more sustainable."
Astroscale's LEXI spacecraft is slated to launch to GEO by 2026, where it will perform life extension services for commercial operators, the U.S government and partner governments around the world. LEXI's key services for customers include station keeping and attitude control, momentum management, inclination correction, GEO relocation and retirement to graveyard orbit.
Astroscale U.S. is working with Orbit Fab to integrate its Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface, or RAFTI, into the LEXI Servicer to provide refueling capability alongside the company's ongoing work to develop LEXI's rendezvous and docking payload technology.
"This is a historic moment for the space industry, showing the clear and immediate need for on-orbit fueling," Orbit Fab CEO Daniel Faber said.
"We have partnered with Astroscale to facilitate the growth of the emerging satellite servicing sector by showing clear demand for satellite servicing and the refueling of those servicing assets. This take-or-pay contract is the first of its kind for the space industry. We can monetize a portion of our contracts before we make delivery to our customers, allowing us to quickly build out our network of tankers and shuttles. This is our commitment to Astroscale that we will deliver the fuel for a fixed price, and their commitment to buy that fuel."
Orbit Fab expects to deploy dozens of fuel tankers and shuttles in the next 5 to 10 years, positioning them in proximity to customer satellite constellations in low Earth orbit (LEO), GEO and cislunar space. Astroscale and Orbit Fab are exploring additional opportunities to expand the on-orbit servicing market, including trans ferring fuel from tankers directly to operational satellites. Orbit Fab's first two fuel shuttles will be commissioned in LEO in 2023.
Related Links
Astroscale U.S
Orbit Fab
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
|
| Tweet |
| Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. | ||
| SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly |  | SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once credit card or paypal |
Orbex to use Calor BioLPG for Prime launch
Forres UK (SPX) Dec 02, 2021
Orbex and Calor have entered into an agreement that will see the iconic UK gas company supply the ultra-low carbon fuel that will launch the Orbex Prime rocket. Under the terms of the new deal, Calor will supply Orbex with its BioLPG solution, a clean-burning propane produced from renewable feedstocks such as plant and vegetable waste material. This reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to sourcing conventional liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from fossil sources. Calor will also ... read more