With a new infusion of capital, space startup Orbit Fab aims to accelerate its ambitions to build a refueling infrastructure in orbit.
They fade away. Well, more technically, they’re gently nudged with their last bit of remaining fuel into the Earth’s atmosphere so that they can be incinerated harmlessly by the resulting friction.
“If you don’t have a reusable rocket, you’re gone. In a couple of years, if you don’t have a refuelable satellite, you’re gone, too." That said, the financial incentive is huge. Large geostationary satellites that power applications like communications networks can cost hundreds of millions, even billions, of dollars, and just launching them can cost tens of millions. But gravity from the Earth, the Sun and the Moon can all slightly wobble those satellites out of their desired path, requiring fuel to stay in position.
That buy-in from the Department of Defense, says Quilty, is crucial for the company’s future prospects, because it sets a standard that industry is following. Additionally, the company builds the interface hardware and works with spacecraft manufacturers to encourage its integration. “It’s a smart, smart, business model,” he comments.
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