Dear MEL Topic Readers,
This company wants to create ‘gas stations in space’
Of the over 15,000 satellites that have been sent to space to orbit the
Earth since 1957, only about half of them are still functioning. The others have
run out of fuel, ceased their missions, and gone out of control. They are like
single-use satellites that were not designed to be repaired or refueled. Space
satellites and stations primarily use rocket fuel to maneuver and maintain
their positions in space. Commonly used propellants are liquid hydrogen, liquid
oxygen, hydrazine, and various combinations of these and other chemicals. If those
out-of-fuel satellites were refueled, they could function longer. A Colorado-based
startup is developing refueling systems to increase the lifespans of satellites
through a docking system using their self-developed port system. Satellites equipped
with this port will be refueled in space by the company’s space tanker, like air-to-air
refueling used by the Air Force. Though the technology won’t extend the
lifespan of already-orbiting satellites, it could reduce the number of
single-use satellites in space.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about how refueling in space could
change the space environment.
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