Impulse Space has announced that it will conduct a hydrazine refueling demonstration mission in geostationary equatorial orbit (GEO) in collaboration with Orbit Fab. The Mira orbital service vehicle of Impulse Space will serve as a hosting platform for the Orbit Fab fuel depot, which will replenish Space Force Satellites in 2025. During the refueling demonstration, the US Space Force Tetra-5 spacecraft will refuel with up to 50kg of hydrazine, using the Orbit Fab fuel depot featuring its RAFTI (Rapidly Attachable Fuel Transfer Interface) refueling port. Impulse Space will provide hosting services such as power, communications, attitude control, and propulsion for the fuel depot. The Orbit Fab refueling demonstration mission will launch in mid-2025 and will deliver fuel to the US Space Force under a contract with the DIU (Defense Innovation Unit). This collaboration between Impulse Space and Orbit Fab will pave the way for future commercial orbital refueling services, as well as additional collaborative opportunities and missions between the two companies. Establishing a future where companies know in advance the availability and price of fuel will permit them to build their satellites without having to exchange operational capabilities for longer lifetimes, enabling new business models never before thought possible.
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