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§ Private Profile · 1460 Overlook Dr, Lafayette, CO 80026, USA
Orbit Fab is a technology company.
Orbit Fab provides in-space spacecraft refueling services, establishing a critical propellant supply chain for orbital assets. The company operates "Gas Stations in Space," enabling on-orbit satellite refueling. This infrastructure extends operational lifespans and facilitates dynamic missions. By standardizing interfaces and ensuring reliable delivery, Orbit Fab enhances space operation flexibility.
Daniel Faber and Jeremy Schiel founded Orbit Fab in 2018, recognizing a core space limitation: the finite fuel of satellites. Faber, an experienced space technology entrepreneur, partnered with Schiel to develop accessible refueling. Their insight aimed to transform spacecraft from single-use assets into reusable platforms via on-demand propellant.
Orbit Fab serves government and commercial satellite operators, enabling prolonged missions and optimized spacecraft utilization. Their services remove fuel constraints, making on-orbit assets more versatile. Orbit Fab’s vision is to cultivate a thriving, sustainable in-space economy. By providing readily available propellant, they aim to unlock unprecedented mission flexibility and longevity.
Orbit Fab has raised $56.8M across 7 funding rounds.
Key people at Orbit Fab.
Orbit Fab has raised $56.8M in total across 7 funding rounds.
Orbit Fab has raised $56.8M across 7 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $1.7M Grant in July 2024.
Key people at Orbit Fab.
Orbit Fab is a spacecraft refueling company founded in 2018 that builds the in-space propellant supply chain to end the single-use satellite paradigm.[1][2][3] It develops refueling hardware like the RAFTI™ interface, deploys fuel tankers and shuttles for chemical (e.g., hydrazine) and electric (e.g., xenon) propellants, and offers mission planning via UMPIRE software to deliver fuel directly to customer spacecraft in any orbit.[1][3][5] Serving NASA, U.S. Space Force, DoD, and commercial operators like Astroscale and ClearSpace, Orbit Fab solves the problem of limited onboard fuel, extending satellite lifetimes, enabling flexible maneuvers, and supporting sustainable operations in Earth orbit, cislunar space, and beyond.[2][4][5] The company has achieved early traction with over $25M in funding from Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, the first commercial fuel depot in LEO, industry-standard RAFTI baselined on 100+ satellites, and contracts for GEO hydrazine delivery starting 2025 at $20M per 100kg.[1][4][5]
Orbit Fab was founded in 2018 in Colorado as a venture-backed startup solely focused on in-space refueling, emerging from the need to overcome spacecraft fuel limitations that restrict mission flexibility and contribute to space debris.[1][2][4] Key early milestones include the 2019 Furphy mission—the first private resupply of water to the ISS, demonstrating propellant transfer basics—and the 2021 launch of the first commercial fuel depot in LEO.[1][3][4] Pivotal moments followed: investments from Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman in 2021, the first commercial refueling deal and U.S. DoD contract in 2022, and recent wins like the DIU RAPIDS contract for Space Force satellites plus UK Space Agency debris removal programs.[1][4][5] These achievements built on ISS National Lab-funded tests and positioned RAFTI as the standard interface.[1][4]
Orbit Fab rides the trend toward a thriving in-space economy, enabling satellite constellations, space tourism, manufacturing, mining, and cislunar operations by providing ubiquitous propellant access.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with surging satellite deployments (e.g., for comms and Earth observation) and sustainability mandates to reduce debris, as refueling extends asset life and avoids deorbiting viable satellites.[1][3] Market forces like falling launch costs and DoD demand for resilient architectures favor it, with contracts from NASA, USAF, and internationals signaling ecosystem adoption.[2][4][5] By standardizing interfaces and logistics, Orbit Fab influences operators to design refuelable spacecraft, fostering new business models and permanent space infrastructure.[1][4]
Orbit Fab is poised to execute its first commercial on-orbit refueling in 2024 via risk reduction demos, scale GEO hydrazine services in 2025, and expand to cislunar and deep space with Mars/Venus demand.[4][5] Trends like mega-constellations, active debris removal, and government refueling mandates (e.g., DIU, UK programs) will accelerate growth, potentially capturing a multi-billion market as satellites become multi-use assets.[1][4][5] Its influence may evolve from pioneer to essential utility, partnering with primes to standardize refueling and unlock sustainable expansion—transforming spacecraft from disposable to dynamic, much like airlines refuel planes.
Orbit Fab has raised $56.8M in total across 7 funding rounds.
Orbit Fab's investors include UK Space Agency, 8090 Industries, 1435 Capital Management, 2045 ventures, 305 Ventures, 500 Global, Afore Capital, Antiportfolio Ventures, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Bolt, Divergent Capital, Good Growth Capital.
