COLORADO SPRINGS — Astroscale U.S. will refuel two U.S. Space Force spacecraft in geostationary orbit on a mission scheduled for launch in 2026.
Astroscale U.S. announced at the 40th Space Symposium April 8 that its Astroscale U.S. Refueler spacecraft, also known as APS-R, will transfer hydrazine to two Space Force spacecraft as well as refuel itself using a propellant depot developed by Orbit Fab on the mission.
“This mission matters because it proves something fundamental: on-orbit logistics are no longer theoretical. They are operational,” said Clare Martin, executive vice president of Astroscale U.S., at a briefing about the mission.
The 300-kilogram APS-R spacecraft is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2026 and will go to GEO, where it will approach a Space Force spacecraft. Astroscale did not immediately identify that spacecraft but later confirmed it was one of the two Tetra-5 spacecraft the Space Force is funding to test refueling technologies. APS-R will dock with Tetra-5 and transfer hydrazine to it.
After fueling Tetra-5, APS-R will undock and move a safe distance away, then use a hyperspectral sensor to observe Tetra-5 for a leak check. APS-R will go to an Orbit Fab depot to refuel itself, then travel to a second, unidentified spacecraft for another refueling operation.
“This is an operational, repeatable logistics capability that unlocks sustained maneuverability in space,” said Ian Thomas, program manager for APS-R at Astroscale U.S.
He said that APS-R will go through a 45-day checkout period after launch, after which it would begin “event windows” for the refueling activities that will last for six months. Those refueling activities will take place about 400 kilometers above the GEO belt.
Martin said APS-R has a design life of two to three years, and Astroscale U.S. will be free to use the spacecraft for other applications once it completes the Space Force refueling demonstrations. “There is plenty of opportunity after this initial phase of refueling operations to continue service,” she said.
The refueling demonstration is funded by a $61 million other transaction authority (OTA) agreement with the Space Enterprise Consortium. “What an OTA does is pull out all the red tape, all the restrictions,” said Michael Young, vice president of the consortium at the National Security Technology Accelerator, or NSTXL.
Development of APS-R dates back to a September 2023 OTA that the Space Force awarded to Astroscale U.S. for a refueling spacecraft, one that involved an additional $12 million in Astroscale investment in the project. At that time, the Space Force had not decided if or when APS-R would fly.
