NGC Selected for in-space refuelling demonstration

The United States Space Force (USSF) has awarded US prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation two national security contracts of undisclosed value, including one for a technology demonstration for in-space refuelling.

US Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded the company a contract for the Elixir refuelling payload program, which will enable the Space Force to refine tactics and procedures for rendezvous and proximity operations, docking, refuelling, and undocking of on-orbit vehicles – foundational capabilities for servicing, mobility and logistics, says Northrop Grumman.

Under the Elixir program contract, the company says it will design, build and integrate a refuelling payload onto a space vehicle and demonstrate refuelling with a demonstration client satellite.

“This technology will unlock new possibilities for dynamic space operations, providing the sustained manoeuvrability our customers need in a complex environment,” said Lauren Smith, Northrop Grumman’s program manager for in-space refuelling. “To deliver this critical national security capability, our team will build on Northrop Grumman’s in-space servicing success and trailblaze new refueling solutions to meet mission needs.”

The Elixir program will see Northrop Grumman perform proximity operations, dock and undock with a demonstration client satellite to transfer and receive fuel. The refuelling payload will be equipped with the company’s Active Refuelling Module (ARM), which interfaces with Northrop Grumman’s Passive Refuelling Module (PRM) for the transfer and receipt of fuel.

In 2023, the company’s PRM was approved by SSC’s Space Systems Integration Office (SSIO) as a refuelling interface for consideration by SSC programs. Multiple PRM flight units are currently in production for the Space Force and will also be integrated onto Northrop Grumman’s next-generation satellite servicing vehicle, the Mission Robotic Vehicle.

Under a separate contract, Northrop Grumman has won a multi-unit contract for four of the company’s proven ESPAStar spacecraft, one of which will host the refueling demonstration payload on its ride to space. ESPAStar won its first contract in 2016 and now each upgraded bus can hold more than 330kg of payload mass on each of its six ports, providing additional mass-to-orbit, the company says.

These contracts build on Northrop Grumman’s proven on-orbit satellite servicing and refuelling innovation, including first-of-its-kind mission extension services that protect critical space assets in geosynchronous orbit for both US government and commercial partners, the company says.

The in-orbit demonstration will advance and validate the company’s on-orbit servicing and refueling technology – paving the way for fully operational refueling spacecraft in the future. These developments follow years of work by Northrop Grumman across commercial and U.S. government contracts to mature all elements of key refueling technologies and mission architecture.