Orbit Fab, an in-orbit spacecraft refueling services provider, has received a $1.67 million grant from the UK Space Agency to develop a high-pressure variant of the Rapidly Attachable Fuel Transfer Interface refueling port.
RAFTI, which has a Technology Readiness Level 8 rating, replaces the existing fill and drain valve to minimize additional complexity and mass. It comes with built-in cooperative docking capability to enable on-orbit refueling, according to Orbit Fab’s website.
The new RAFTI variant, expected to be available in 2025, will be designed to handle pressurized fuels to reduce the need for single-use satellites.
“With the support of the UK Space Agency and our partners, we are enhancing the U.K.’s space capabilities and setting new standards for sustainable space operations,” said Daniel Faber, CEO of Orbit Fab.
The UK Space Agency awarded the funding under the National Space Innovation Programme, which also provides grants to support other space projects, including HyImpulse UK’s vertical launch of a sounding rocket from SaxaVord spaceport and Super Sharp Space Systems’ development of a thermal infrared Earth observation instrument to observe climate change, Via Satellite reported.
According to Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, the new projects will help preserve the space environment for future generations.
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