New Satellite Refueling Ecosystem Aims to Become the Standard

Dawn Aerospace, a little-known space engineering firm from the Netherlands, showed off its new Docking and Fluid Transfer (DFT) port, a system that will enable satellite upkeep by refueling in the years to come.

The firm has made waves with its Nitrous-based SatDrive propulsion systems, grabbing the attention of 20 clients as they developed their own satellite systems. Now, Dawn says they're "uniquely suited to solve the “chicken and egg” problem of satellite refueling." Their new DFT port replaces the standard fill/drain valves in use today, basic systems that require manual actuation on the ground, and will never be refilled again, bar some enterprising company sending up mechanics to do it in person. That leaves many satellites so equipped to hit their end of life when they can no longer control their position, as they succumb to the inevitable decay of their orbit and burn up in the atmosphere below.

But the DFT system builds on Dawn's flight-proven B20 thruster system, a proven unit after 200 uses in space. Its fuel is simple nitrous oxide and propylene, which offers operators no lifetime limits, no time-outs, and best of all: infinite restarts and uses. Nitrous thrusters make an attractive proposition for satellite designers who'd like to safeguard their investment, tacking on decades to a spacecraft's original lifespan.

“With low mass, low risk, and zero cost, we believe it’s getting close to a ‘no brainer’ decision for any Dawn customer who sees value in refueling,” said CEO, Stefan Powell. “This allows customers to make the leap of faith, even though there are no established refueling services yet.”

In time, those will come into being, and aside from the cost, all they really give up by including a DFT port in new satellites is about a pound against the older manual valves. Like any non-standard approach in a fast-moving industry though, there's always the chance that the DFT design ends up superseded by a similar competitor in the future. Dawn execs think they got the drop on everybody though, making them a good bet for the foundation of satellite refueling.

“Dawn is currently producing about one satellite propulsion system per week. Not all will use the DFT, but if a significant fraction does, we foresee potentially hundreds of refuellable satellites on-orbit by the 2030s. That will go a long way to establishing a customer base for satellite refueling,” said Stefan Powell. He pointed out that his firm was the first to start using the much more benign nitrous fuel, too. “Dawn was the first to bring nitrous propulsion to the world. It’s now the fastest-growing hydrazine alternative. We are excited to now be the first to offer refuellable propulsion systems as standard.”

FMI: www.dawnaerospace.com