Sustained maneuver: Why the time is now for in-space refueling

It’s time for the Pentagon and the space industry to develop and integrate practical solutions for refueling satellites in orbit. That’s not just an industry opinion; it’s the belief of U.S. Space Command’s top leader, Gen. Stephen Whiting, who regularly emphasizes satellite maneuver capabilities and long-term sustainment in the space domain. 

Most recently, against a literal backdrop of intricately connected on-orbit operations – intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites, precision-guided munitions, tactical communications – Whiting pointed to 2025 as the year of command and control in space, integrating traditional warfighting principles.

He called for movement and maneuver, “a hallmark of U.S. military operations for decades.” In space, that will require a new era of architecture, including to support resilient space-based networks, logistics, servicing and refueling. 

“Movement and maneuver sets the forces and then allows us to gain a position of advantage relative to the adversary, so we can close with the adversary and ultimately destroy them,” Whiting said in remarks made Dec. 11. “Now, an irony of the space domain is that everything in our [area of responsibility] is in motion…but rarely do we use maneuver as a way to gain positional advantage. And so we believe at U.S. Space Command, it's vital that given the threats we now see in novel orbits that are hard for us to get to, as well as the fact that Chinese have been testing on-orbit refueling capability, that we need some kind of sustained space maneuver…like on-orbit refueling that allows us to maneuver without regret, which would then allow us to really transform space operations.”

Whiting’s latest remarks underscore the reality that U.S. satellites will, at some point, require in-space logistical support. The accelerating pace of commercial capabilities – including satellite maneuverability, particularly in geostationary orbit (GEO) – will undoubtedly underpin these advances. And based on the confluence of three primary factors, that time is now.

First, the rapid advancement of commercial orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) capabilities is opening low-cost access to orbits beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), significantly expanding operational reach. Simultaneously, opportunities are emerging in Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) systems, including the development of RPOD-capable, commercially available satellite buses. These technologies are crucial for enabling safe and efficient in-orbit servicing and refueling operations. 

Lastly, the current assessment and reinvestment in U.S. GEO-based strategic communications systems presents both new promise and new challenges. There’s opportunity to integrate refueling capabilities into next-generation satellites, ensuring their long-term sustainability and operational flexibility in the face of evolving space dynamics – but it’s a window limited to the design phase.

In today’s space chase, commercial competition has increased the features and performance of buses and payloads while driving down costs.  One such capability is RPO that is precise enough to allow a fuel servicing vehicle to dock with another prepared client. This capability, combined with a highly agile, affordable, medium-sized bus (~500kg), is the second key piece for refueling: the fuel shuttle that goes from the fuel depot to the client vehicle.

The last piece in this particular domino effect is the opportunity. As planning ramps up to augment and eventually replace existing GEO communications architecture, so does the big-ticket budgeting and the redesign of satellites. With billions in taxpayer funds and a generation of satellite technology design at stake, it’s crucial for government leaders and stakeholders to comprehensively investigate the true costs involved – including for the satellite maneuver and long-term sustainment Gen. Whiting underscored.

In reality, two courses of action are essential to ensure maximum flexibility of U.S. space operations. 

First, an independent agency must evaluate the true cost of incorporating refueling into this generation’s satellites. Second, if deemed affordable, design should begin immediately on the flexibility that refueling brings. Absent these actions, satellites delivered in 2030 and beyond will be no more capable of dynamic space operations than the satellites we delivered more than a decade ago. 

“Every time we want to move that satellite we have to have a conversation, rather than strictly about what’s best for the mission, well, how much fuel is that going to burn? How much life is going to burn?” Whiting said at SPACECOM’s anniversary event in August. “We want capabilities that allow us to operate our systems, our satellites, until the mission is complete – not until the fuel that they’re launched with runs out.”

Shawn Hendricks is the Chief Operating Officer of Orbit Fab, the leading provider of on-orbit refueling services. A Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with advanced degrees in Aerospace Engineering, Hendricks brings over two decades of experience in aerospace and satellite technology. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Terran Orbital and Director of Programs at L3 Harris. Hendricks' career includes nearly 20 years of service in the U.S. Navy, where he held key roles in spacecraft production and network management for critical national security missions.