Space Force seeks orbital-refueling tech in new budget – By Audrey Decker (Defense One) / March 12, 2024
But spending caps will slow counterspace efforts, space chief says in interview.
The Space Force is launching an effort to develop technology to refuel and maintain satellites, the service’s top officer said in an interview.
“We’re investing in demonstrations and capabilities to start to explore what you would need on orbit to be able to service and maintain satellites. This gives us some opportunities to explore dynamic maneuvering [and] maneuver without regret. These are things that will make our satellites harder to target, more defensible,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said as part of Defense One’s State of Defense series.
The service needs to develop on-orbit servicing because satellites with short lifespans and fixed fuel tanks are constraining operations, officials have said. The Space Force is asking for $20 million in its 2025 budget request to start developing tools to handle a new mission set called “Servicing, Mobility, and Logistics,” according to budget justification documents. Commercial services and technology will play a role, the documents say.
