OrbitFab to Demonstrate Refueling Interface in Project 'RADICAL'
Receives $876,000 From the UK Space Agency
Orbit Fab unveiled their next steps to refuel satellites at the recent UK Space Conference in Manchester. The UK Minister responsible for space, Chris Bryant, announced that the company has been selected for €750,000 (≈$876,300) of funding from the UK Space Agency delivered through the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ARTES program to work with commercial satellite operators and extend the life of communication satellites.
Named project “RADICAL”, short for “Refueling Architecture Development for In-Orbit Communications and Logistics”, the project will develop comprehensive refueling services for spacecraft, initially targeting the satellite communications (satcom) market. The project will enable telecoms satellite in Geostationary orbit to be refueled, extending their life and delivering far greater efficiency, revenue, and reliability of satellite missions.
Orbit Fab will work with a major prime and satellite operator to adapt their mission operations and platform to enable refueling. The project directly supports ESA’s commitment to space sustainability and responsible operations and builds on Orbit Fab’s signature of the ESA Zero Debris Charter in 2024.
“Extending the life of satellites through in-orbit refuelling represents a critical step toward a more commercial and sustainable satellite communications ecosystem," said Dr. Craig Brown, Director of Investment at the UK Space Agency. "By collaborating with Orbit Fab and UK telecoms operators and manufacturers, we are enabling new revenue models, reducing replacement costs, and boosting operational uptime—critical factors for strengthening the UK’s commercial competitiveness within the global satellite communications market.”
Orbit Fab also revealed their next in-orbit demonstration mission — “Shilling” — at the UK Space Conference. The mission will showcase a new high-pressure variant of the company’s RAFTI refueling interface, developed in the UK to enhance satellite reusability, reduce space debris, and support future orbital defence resilience.
Launching in early 2026 from India on a spacecraft built by Exotopic and Third Planet Orbital, the Shilling mission will validate advanced sealing technology critical to fuel containment and transfer in space. The high pressure RAFTI interface supports high-pressure propellant systems, enabling longer-lasting, more compact, and more capable satellite operations.
“Satellites don’t fail because of weak hardware or software — they fail because they run out of fuel,” said Jacob Geer, Orbit Fab Managing Director. “And when satellites run out of fuel they stop delivering the services we depend upon. Or, it they are military satellites, become vulnerable to attack in orbit. With the Shilling mission, we’re demonstrating how UK-developed technology can change that reality — enabling a sustainable, secure orbital economy.