Gas Stations in Space? Company's Ambitious Plan for Cosmic Fueling Stations
Orbit Fab, a Colorado-based company, is developing technology to enable satellite refueling while in orbit. Their innovation, RAFTI (Rapid Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface), provides a standardized fueling port for new satellites. Currently, satellites cannot be refueled in space, resulting in them becoming space debris when they run out of fuel. It is estimated that there are over 36,500 objects larger than 10 centimeters and 130 million fragments up to 1 centimeter around Earth. While removing space junk is challenging and costly, Orbit Fab's technology offers a potential solution by refueling satellites instead of disposing of them.