Dawn Aerospace inks deal for in-space gas stations

Space transportation specialist Dawn Aerospace has announced a new collaboration with the American Orbit Fab for on-orbit refueling of satellites. The agreement will see the Dutch-Kiwi (New Zealand) space company utilize Orbit’s rapidly attachable fluid transfer interface (RAFTI) to refill its in-space satellites with its eco-friendly propellants, nitrous oxide and propylene. RAFTI, which has already been available for governmental and commercial satellites, will be available for Dawn customers by mid-2022.

“We know that prolonging the life of satellites is key in growing the space industry sustainably – both environmentally and economically,” said Jeroen Wink, Dawn CRO. “In geostationary orbits, refueling can extend a satellite’s operational life by years, where each additional year is worth upward of 50 million dollars in additional revenue. We see this partnership with Orbit Fab as part of Dawn’s broader commitment to growing on-orbit capability and infrastructure.”