National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays.

In this week's edition:

• Orbit Fab demonstrates satellite refueling tech at Air Force lab

• U.S. urged to work with China and India to counter Russia in space

• ULA under pressure to complete second launch

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Today's highlights:

The U.S. military's evolving thinking on refueling satellites

Recent comments by Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, shed light on the military's evolving thinking regarding satellite in-orbit refueling.

"Today when we operate in space it's really positional warfare," Whiting said last week at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
"And typically, that's because we only have the fuel we've launched with and so we never want to move or if we do, we always ask the question of how much life is this going to take off the back end of the satellite."
This constraint has traditionally limited the military's ability to maneuver assets in space freely. However, the advent of in-orbit refueling technologies could alter this paradigm, especially for high-value assets in geostationary orbit.

Whiting emphasized the Space Force's desire to achieve greater maneuverability in space, stating, "We want to get to a place where we can maneuver in the domain just like we do in every other domain."

But not all space assets would be candidates for refueling. "Certainly we would not want to try to refuel a proliferated LEO constellation," he said, referring to the lower-cost satellites in low Earth orbit. But the capability could be crucial for defending high-value satellites in geosynchronous orbit that could potentially be tailed by adversaries.

As Whiting pointed out, the U.S. does not want to be in a position where it can't defend a satellite because it's trying to conserve fuel.

Orbit Fab tested its GRIP satellite refueling nozzle at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Credit: Orbit Fab

Leading the race in the military satellite refueling market are companies like Orbit Fab and Northrop Grumman.

Northrop Grumman, leveraging its SpaceLogistics subsidiary dedicated to in-space satellite servicing, has developed the Passive Refueling Module (PRM) which was selected as a preferred interface for future in-space refueling of military satellites. The company is also developing a fuel delivery vehicle specifically designed for operations in geostationary orbit.
Orbit Fab meanwhile is pushing ahead with testing and production of refueling hardware. The company today reported successful ground tests of its fueling nozzle which promises to simplify the fuel-transfer process by eliminating the need for complex robotic arms.

Space Force officials have made it clear that they are evaluating all available products in the market. Col. Joseph Roth, director of the Space Systems Command's innovation and prototyping directorate, noted that Northrop Grumman and Orbit Fab are currently in the lead.

The military's approach to this emerging technology is pragmatic, Roth explained, "We want to get those technologies on orbit, test them out in an operational environment, and hedge our bets because we don't know which one will work, and which one will work better than the other."

The United States should enlist China and India to counter the Russian space threat, argues a new op-ed from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

CSIS analysts Clayton Swope and Makena Young make the case that the U.S. needs to leverage China and India's economic ties with Russia to address the growing threat of Russian anti-satellite weapons.

Key takeaways:

Russia is developing indiscriminate counterspace weapons, including a potential nuclear anti-satellite capability, posing a significant threat to U.S. space assets.
Traditional diplomatic pressure and sanctions have proven ineffective in changing Russian behavior under Putin's leadership.
China and India have increased trade with Russia, giving them unique economic leverage that could influence Moscow's space weapons program.
The U.S. should focus on convincing Beijing and New Delhi that Russian indiscriminate counterspace weapons threaten their growing space interests as well.

CSIS contends that while a comprehensive ban on counterspace weapons is unrealistic, the immediate focus should be on restraining Russia's development of indiscriminate anti-satellite capabilities that threaten all spacefaring nations.

Dave Broadbent, president of Intelsat's government business, is pushing for greater industry involvement in supporting the Space Force's new Commercial Strategy. In a SpaceNews op-ed, Broadbent emphasizes the need for private companies to actively contribute to the strategy's success.

Broadbent cites Space Force leadership's call to "tap into the spirit of American entrepreneurship" to maintain competitive advantage.
- He argues that outpacing threats requires condensing timelines from concept to operational capability.
Current Space Force prime contractors are urged to help government leaders quickly frame requirements and accelerate new technologies.
He advocates for a mindset shift among traditional space contractors, emphasizing cooperation to field new solutions as requirements evolve.

Don't miss the new episode of the SpaceNews Leading Women in Space series. Correspondent Debra Werner speaks with U.S. Space Force Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, who serves as program executive officer for Assured Access to Space, director of launch and range operations for Space Systems Command, commander of Space Launch Delta 45, and director of the Eastern Range.

In other news 🚀

A Russian satellite in low Earth orbit broke up last week, creating more than 100 pieces of trackable debris and briefly causing the International Space Station crew to take shelter.

"USSPACECOM has observed no immediate threats and is continuing to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain," U.S. Space Command stated.

United Launch Alliance will fly an inert payload and instrumentation on its second Vulcan Centaur mission after concluding that Sierra Space's Dream Chaser would not be ready in time for a launch this fall.

The second Vulcan launch, or Cert-2, needs to be performed successfully in order for the Space Force to certify the rocket for launching national security payloads. The company says it wants to launch two of those missions, designated USSF-106 and USSF-87, before the end of the year.

Viasat will produce eight satellite communications terminals for Spain's military's maritime patrol aircraft. The multi-band terminals will be integrated into Spain's fleet of C295 maritime surveillance aircraft.

The terminals on the C295 tactical airlifter will connect to commercial satellites as well as Spain's next-generation military constellation, SpainSat NG, a constellation of two satellites scheduled for launch in late 2024 or 2025.

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