RECS SATELLITE REFUELING DEMO, A COLLABORATION BETWEEN SPLAB/DAER AND D-ORBIT, IS IN ORBIT
22 December 2023 — 0 minutes read
Refuelling of satellites in orbit needs the development of several building blocks.
The BEYOND launch mission of ION (the D-Orbit Orbital Transfer Vehicle) hosts an experiment investigating how the peculiar properties of self-pressurizing fuels can be exploited to move fluids between tanks.
This is a unique fundamental study to collect data for the validation of fluid models and of tank refilling strategies.
For the first time, these data will be collected in real environment.
The mission stems from the collaboration of the Space Propulsion Laboratory ↗ (Dept. Aerospace Science and Technology) and D-Orbit through the activities of Simone La Luna ↗ , one of our executive PhDs.
The BEYOND mission lifted off on Dec. 1st on-borad a Falcon 9 and is currently in flight.
The experiment is now on-hold and is waiting for the scheduled time slot.
Results of the mission will represent an important cornerstone for develpment of satellite refuelling capability.
Giving the possibility of orbital lifetime extension can be an important contribution for cost reduction and environmental sustainability of space activities.