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“Orbit Fab envisions a thriving in-space market for products and services that support both existing space businesses (communications and Earth observation) and new industries like space tourism, manufacturing, and mining. We offer a ubiquitous supply of satellite propellant in Earth Orbit, expanding the operational potential of new and existing space assets and enabling unprecedented business model flexibility for satellite owners. The future for satellites is no longer restricted to the fuel they are launched with. We provide the fuel that satellites need, where and when they need it, to achieve things never before thought possible.” source
Livestream
CEO Daniel Faber
“A serial entrepreneur leading a number of startups in Silicon Valley, Daniel Faber has leveraged his experience in a wide range of industry sectors to bring together teams and build companies in the emerging field of in-space operations.
As the former CEO of Deep Space Industries, Mr. Faber built a solid technology business, aggressively advancing a vision of delivering off-earth resources to the space economy. Under his leadership, the company released its first products with significant customer traction, grew sales from zero to nearly $10 million, changed global perceptions and regulations around space resources, and positioned DSI to systematically create and commercialize all the technology necessary for mining asteroids.
As a serial entrepreneur in the aerospace and mining industries prior to DSI, Mr. Faber has grown several high tech companies from startup through to commercial success. He is the recipient of multiple innovation awards and has filed a number patents in the fields of mining, entertainment, medical imaging, and aerospace.
Mr. Faber is in the process of completing a double-MBA at UCLA Anderson and National University Singapore (NUS), he holds a degree in engineering from the University of New South Wales and a Postgraduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies from the University of Canterbury. He has served as a director and officer in several non-governmental organizations. ” Source
Orbit Fab Products
RAPIDLY ATTACHABLE FUEL TRANSFER INTERFACE (RAFTI)
Fill and Drain
The Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI) provides cost effective, reliable satellite fill and drain functions during ground operations. The service valve side is low profile, comparable to existing solutions. The rugged latching mechanism and triple seal design ensures a safe propellant transfer. RAFTI is designed for ease of use while exceeding industry range safety requirements. Redundant data logging allows for remote monitoring.
On Orbit Refueling
RAFTI is designed to allow reliable propellant transfers in the harshest space environments, making it ideal for mission operations at any orbit. High and low pressure variants are compatible with common modern propellants and pressurants with external leakages less than 1×10-6 scc/s. RAFTI is configurable to be normally-open or normally-closed in case of power loss, allowing for fail-safe and safe-fail operations for any mission profile.
Docking
RAFTI supports both primary docking or secondary attachment of two spacecraft. The double action latch mechanism accommodates significant misalignment on all axes during the docking process, allowing for self aligning operations without the need for complex robotic arms. High clamping force accommodates high pressure fluid connections and satellite body movements. Improved reliability by minimizing sliding surfaces and avoiding motors or gears
Future satellites operations need not be restricted to the fuel they hold at launch. Following the tests on the International Space Station (ISS) orbit fab will begin work on the next generation of tankers.
The Generation-1 Tanker is Orbit Fab’s “minimal viable product”, a 16U sized satellite holding 15 liters of propellant. This form factor was selected as it can be launched on a variety of launch vehicles inside off-the-shelf deployers, providing isolation from the launch vehicle and primary payloads.
While of a modest size, the Generation-1 Tanker is the first step in creating a ubiquitous supply of propellant for satellites in Earth Orbit.
Orbit Fab is planning to launch the first operational tanking in 2020. With suppliers on standby, an accelerated program could build, test, and deliver a tanker within 3 months.
FLEXTANK ISS PROTOTYPE (GEN-0) – LAUNCHED DEC 4, 2018
The first generation FlexTank will significantly increase a spacecraft’s fuel-to-mass ratio, allowing the satellite to go longer without refueling.
Links
Recent announcement:
“Incredibly proud of the teams at Orbit Fab, Bolt, NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory for making this experiment happen. Because of everyone’s hard work, Furphy operations went flawlessly today and we achieved all of our data gathering goals so far! Still more to come, stay tuned next week! hashtagsatelliteservicing hashtagrefueling hashtagnasa hashtagsuccess hashtaginternationalspacestation“