Spaceium’s Orbital Refueling Demo Launches with D-Orbit on Transporter-15

Spaceium, building a network of in-space refueling and repair stations, led by Ashi Dissanayake and Reza Fetanat, launched its first in-space demonstration hardware, a precision robotic actuator for autonomous propellant transfer in orbit on SpaceX’s Transporter-15 mission, hosted aboard D-orbit’s ION spacecraft.

Spaceium was founded to make in-space refueling a reality. Orbital fuel replenishment is the key to unlocking a larger, more sustainable space economy. For decades, missions ended when fuel ran out, forcing teams to plan around strict limits. Spaceium aims to remove those constraints and open the door to continuous, long-duration operations in orbit.

Refueling is the backbone of future space operations, the shift from missions that end to missions that endure. Just as global fuel networks transformed aviation, orbital refueling will enable true freedom and longevity in space.

This flight was the first step. Spaceium’s actuator was built for real operational conditions, precision coupling, and the reliability needed to evolve into a full fuel-logistics system.

It marks the beginning of a scalable architecture for continuous in-orbit operations, addressing a challenge every spacecraft team faces today: fuel limits are constraining mission design and real capability.

Spaceium pursued refueling because the industry needed it. Mission teams consistently reported that fuel limits were forcing trade-offs, reducing maneuver options, and capping mission reach. Removing that constraint is essential for space to scale.

This mission strengthened alignment with operators planning high-mobility missions in Earth orbit and the cislunar region. New spacecraft are already being designed with refueling in mind, treating mobility as a built-in capability. The launch signals that refueling is arriving faster than expected.

With this flight, Spaceium gained heritage and placed a critical component of its architecture in orbit. Upcoming on-orbit tests will unlock the next steps: more missions, more hardware, and steady progress toward full refueling operations.

The vision is a future where missions are no longer limited by fuel, where spacecraft stay active longer and operate with greater freedom. Spaceium is building the infrastructure to make that reality.