Orbit Fab Wins ESA Funding to Lead “ASTRAL”–a European Landmark in-orbit Refuelling Mission

Orbit Fab, building in-space fuel delivery infrastructure, led by Daniel Faber, Shawn Hendricks, and others, has announced its latest milestone toward refuelling satellites in orbit. The company will deliver the Advancing Satcom Technology with Refuelling and Logistics (ASTRAL) project with a total UK funding of up to $3.8m (€3.3m). The contract for the first stage of the mission, worth £1.3m (€1.1m), has now been awarded to Orbit Fab by ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) Core Competitiveness programme.

ASTRAL will conduct an in-orbit demonstration by 2028 to validate Orbit Fab’s RAFTI™ and GRASP refueling interfaces in a real docking and propellant-transfer scenario, proving their performance in operational conditions and advancing sustainable satellite servicing.

The ASTRAL consortium brings together leading European innovators, Orbit Fab, KISPE Space Systems, Gate Space Innovation GmbH, Blackswan Space, and Indra Deimos, from the UK, Austria, Lithuania, and beyond. Their work will deliver Europe’s first in-orbit refuelling experiment using Xenon, advancing the design, integration, and validation of the hardware needed to sustain and protect satellites. As Earth’s orbit grows more congested and contested, ASTRAL will bolster Europe’s strategic resilience by enabling spacecraft to manoeuvre, extend mission life, and maintain operational advantage across commercial and governmental missions.

ASTRAL will demonstrate a full sequence of in-orbit servicing operations, starting with mechanical docking and a leak-free connection between a servicing and target spacecraft using Orbit Fab’s GRASP and RAFTI™ interfaces. The mission will then transfer multiple propellants, Nitrous Oxide, Ethane, and Xenon, through RAFTI™, validating the system’s versatility and capacity. It will conclude by testing docking, refuelling, rendezvous, proximity operations, and safe release procedures, confirming reliable performance in a true orbital environment.

Jacob Geer, Managing Director of UK & Europe at Orbit Fab, emphasized the significance of leading Europe’s first in-orbit satellite-refuelling test, highlighting the collaboration across Austria, Lithuania, the UK, and other regions, and the role of the RAFTI interface in enabling the world’s first Xenon fuelling in space. He noted that building this capability is essential for extending the life of communication satellites and improving the manoeuvrability and resilience of defence spacecraft.

Laurent Jaffart, ESA’s Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications, underscored ESA’s commitment to advancing Europe’s telecom ecosystem while supporting a zero-debris future. He described ASTRAL as a major milestone in developing in-orbit servicing and refuelling technology, strengthened by Orbit Fab’s expertise and UK Space Agency support. He added that the mission will be a key step toward extending mission lifetimes and reinforcing Europe’s autonomy and sovereignty in space.

Craig Brown, UKSA Director of Investments, said that the UK Space Agency is proud to support pioneering initiatives like ASTRAL, which highlight the strength and innovation of the UK and European space sector. He noted that in-orbit servicing and refuelling have the potential to fundamentally change how communication satellites operate over time. By investing in these technologies and strengthening European partnerships in areas such as in-orbit refuelling, the UK is reinforcing its position as a global leader in space while driving growth and delivering broad benefits for industry and society.