The US Space Forces is preparing for a project that can revolutionize the future space infrastructure. The space forces announced that it will initiate two different tasks in order to test whether it can be reliably refueling in orbiting.

These tasks, called Tetra-5 and Tetra-6, aim to prove the applicability of fuel supply technologies in space. Within the scope of these tests, fuel transfer systems of important companies such as Orbit Fab, Astroscale and Northrop Grumman will be examined.

Today, satellites are usually disabled when their fuels are exhausted and a new satellite may need to be launched. This not only has environmental impacts, but also leads to very high costs. Space fuel stations promise to solve this problem, to extend the life of satellites and to reduce the costs of launching. If this concept is successful, a significant paradigm may be experienced in space research and commercial satellite activities.

Details of tasks and plans

The US Space Forces initially planned a single mission to test the reliability of the space fuel station concept. However, in order to be more comprehensive in the process, the decision was made to divide the project into two separate tasks.

• Tetra-5 mission (2026): The Tetra-5 task will be launched in 2026 and will test the fluid transfer interface (RAFTI) technology that can be quickly connected by Orbit Fab. The SFTI enables the safe connection of the satellites to the orbit fuel tanks and to transfer fuel. The effectiveness of this system will be an important step for fuel transfer in space.
• Tetra-6 mission (2027): Tetra-6, which will be held in 2027, will evaluate Northrop Grumman’s passive fuel supply module (PRM) technology. In this task, a satellite equipped with PRM will be tested to connect with a larger fuel tank with Geosynchronous Auxiliary Support tanker and perform fuel supply.

The beginning of a new era in space

If these tests are successful, it will be possible for satellites to increase their term of office by taking fuel in orbit. This can increase the efficiency of both commercial and military satellite operations. In particular, satellite launch processes with astronomical costs can be reduced to a sustainable structure in this field.

Space fuel stations can become one of the cornerstones of the infrastructure for human activities and discovery missions in space. Technological innovations have the potential to transform not only satellite systems, but also in long -term manned space tasks.