Progression of Satellite Refueling and Repositioning Technologies Through a Client–Servicer Perspective
Peer-reviewed TRL progression framework for refueling from client and servicer perspectives; 30–39% lifetime extension, ~$280k/kg fuel cost benchmarks
Progression of Satellite Refueling and Repositioning Technologies Through a Client–Servicer Perspective
Abstract
This AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets paper (Vol. 62, No. 4, July 2025) evaluates the state of progression of on-orbit refueling and repositioning (OORR) systems by incorporating historical technologies, stakeholder relationships, and technical and financial modeling. It introduces a new method of developing and validating figures of merit (FOMs) based on adjoined client–servicer needs — i.e., assessing refueling viability from both the serviced satellite's and the servicer's perspective simultaneously.
Note:
fetch_status: summary-derived— the AIAA page returned HTTP 403 on fetch; figures below are drawn from authoritative search-result metadata and the journal abstract. DOI/URL preserved.
Key Contributions
- Client–servicer FOM framework — a validated method for scoring OORR concepts against the joined needs of both parties.
- Synthesizes historical refueling/repositioning technology into a progression model rather than a point-in-time snapshot.
Results / Benchmarks
- Historic client lifetime extension: 30–39%.
- Projected fuel mass ratios: 46–54%.
- Average fuel cost: $277k–$290k per kilogram delivered on orbit.
Limitations
- Financial modeling rests on projected (not yet flight-validated) refueling economics; the GEO-refueling demos of 2026 (APS-R) are the first real datapoints against these projections.
Significance
Provides peer-reviewed (strong-evidence) benchmarks for the economics this KB's servicing concept pages depend on — the ~$280k/kg fuel-cost figure and 30–39% life-extension range quantify the "extend a $200–500M GEO asset for a fraction of replacement cost" thesis with a primary citation.