Orbit Fab
companyOrbit Fab
Type: Company (Space Infrastructure)
Orbit Fab is building the in-space refueling infrastructure layer — positioning itself as the "gas station in space." The company has developed RAFTI (Rapid Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface), a standardized refueling port designed to become the universal connector for satellite servicing, analogous to how standardized shipping containers transformed global logistics.
The company's near-term milestone is the first commercial satellite refueling in geostationary orbit, targeted for June 2026 in partnership with Astroscale. This would demonstrate the viability of the satellite life-extension business model and validate RAFTI as a de facto industry standard.
Orbit Fab's strategy is infrastructure-first: rather than building servicing spacecraft themselves, they provide the fuel depot and standardized interface, partnering with servicing companies like Astroscale who build the spacecraft that perform the actual rendezvous and fuel transfer.
Key Contributions
- Developed RAFTI standardized refueling interface for satellite servicing (Orbit Fab + Astroscale)
- First commercial GEO refueling mission planned June 2026 with Astroscale (Orbit Fab + Astroscale)
- Infrastructure-layer approach — fuel depots and interfaces, not servicing spacecraft (Orbit Fab + Astroscale)
Mentioned In
- On-Orbit Servicing — Primary driver of commercial refueling
- Orbital Fuel Transfer — Smaller-scale implementation of orbital refueling
- Satellite Propulsion — Refueling extends propulsion system utility
Related Entities
- Astroscale — Servicing spacecraft partner for GEO refueling