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UK Pioneers Space Refuelling with £2m for Orbit Fab’s Innovative Technologies

The UK Space Agency has awarded Orbit Fab a £1.3 million Major Project grant under their National Space Innovation Programme.

This grant will fund the design of a high-pressure variant of the RAFTI™ (Rapidly Attachable Fuel Transfer Interface) refuelling port, set to be available in 2025.

This new variant will enable refuelling with pressurised fuels such as Xenon, promoting more sustainable space operations – reducing the need for single-use satellites.

Alongside the UK Space Agency funding announcement, Orbit Fab has secured additional contracts – including £165,000 with the European Space Agency (ESA) via City University London, and a £500,000 contract as the prime for the phase 1 design of a mission to refuel a future UK Active Debris Removal spacecraft.

The “UKRefuel” mission, in collaboration with industry partners ClearSpace and Astroscale aims to launch a satellite refuelling service to Low Earth Orbit by 2027. These initiatives, following Orbit Fab’s signing of the ESA Zero Debris Charter, underscore the company’s dedication to sustainable space practice and responsible refuelling.

Daniel Faber, CEO and Co-Founder of Orbit Fab comments: “Expanding our UK office and embarking on these new projects is a significant milestone for Orbit Fab.

With the support of the UK Space Agency and our partners, we are enhancing the UK’s space capabilities and setting new standards for sustainable space operations.

The projects led by our UK team will enable us to refuel more satellites and customers than ever before. Our UK and US offices are working together to pave the way for a future where orbital refuelling is standard practice, driving a bustling in-space economy ensuring a more sustainable space environment.”

Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency said: “The National Space Innovation Programme will help kickstart growth, create high-quality jobs, protect our planet and preserve the space environment for future generations.

“New projects, like this one led by Orbit Fab, go to the heart of what we want to achieve as a national space agency that supports cutting-edge innovation, spreads opportunity across the UK and delivers the benefits of space back to citizens on Earth.”

Additionally, the UK Space Agency is announcing two other projects today as part of their National Space Innovation Programme which Orbit Fab are part of. Orbit Fab are collaborating with Magdrive on a replaceable solid-fuel cartridge for Magdrive’s propulsion system and with Lunasa on sensors for safe rendezvous and proximity operations in orbit.

Following a year of extraordinary growth, Orbit Fab has tripled the size of its UK workforce to 15 and will be opening a new office in Harwell, Oxfordshire. This expansion will continue to support the development and operation of orbital refuelling services, essential for national security, telecommunications, earth observation, and scientific missions in space.

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