Orbit Fab Timeline

Events

2026-07-07 - Executive Hire - Orbit Fab appoints Peter Shaper chief executive officer - Peter Shaper joined as chief executive officer with experience scaling private-equity-backed companies. Retired U.S. Air Force Major General Roger Teague also joined the board. The leadership changes accompanied interim financing and expansion of customer… - source: orbitfab.com
2026-07-07 - Funding - Orbit Fab secures more than $25 million in interim financing - Stride Capital led the interim financing, which closed above $25 million. The capital strengthens the balance sheet for customer programs and operational expansion. A Series B round opened separately; the interim financing was already secured. - source: orbitfab.com
2026-05-26 - Partnership - Orbit Fab and Thales Alenia Space launch REEF demonstrator project - REEF combines Orbit Fab fluid interfaces with Thales Alenia Space propulsion-system expertise. The ground flatsat will validate interfaces, operating procedures and refueling architecture using xenon and krypton. The partners planned full breadboard testing… - source: orbitfab.com
2026-04-13 - Product Launch - Orbit Fab unveils RAVEN shuttle and NEST fuel depot - RAVEN is designed to carry 150 to 200 kilograms of propellant and dock with RAFTI-equipped spacecraft. NEST is designed as an orbital depot that stores propellant and resupplies RAVEN for follow-on missions. First launches of the two vehicle types are… - source: orbitfab.com
2026-03-05 - Partnership - Orbit Fab and Airbus study RAFTI integration for GEO satellites - The work is part of the ESA ARTES RADICAL project funded by the UK Space Agency. Orbit Fab and Airbus are assessing platform, mission-operations and systems-engineering changes needed for refueling. The study targets longer-lived and more maneuverable… - source: orbitfab.com
2026-02-16 - Partnership - NASA selects Orbit Fab for Lunar Gateway fluid-transfer work - Orbit Fab is working with NASA on a coolant coupling for Gateway's thermal-control architecture. The work addresses reliable fluid transfer in the lunar-orbit environment. The project extends Orbit Fab's interface experience beyond propellant refueling into… - source: orbitfab.com
2025-11-21 - Contract Award - ESA awards Orbit Fab first ASTRAL refueling contract - The first ASTRAL stage is a GBP 1.3 million contract awarded through ESA's ARTES program. Orbit Fab leads a European consortium planning an in-orbit docking and xenon-transfer experiment by 2028. The mission will validate RAFTI and GRASP interfaces across… - source: orbitfab.com
2025-07-16 - Contract Award - Orbit Fab wins EUR 750,000 ESA RADICAL refueling award - The RADICAL project will develop refueling services for geostationary communications satellites. Orbit Fab will work with satellite manufacturers and operators to adapt mission operations and platform designs. The company also unveiled the Shilling mission… - source: orbitfab.com
2024-08-05 - Regulatory - U.S. Space Force accepts RAFTI for military satellite refueling - Space Systems Command's System Engineering Review Board recommended RAFTI after technical assessments. The designation covers use as an interface for in-space fueling of U.S. military satellites. Tetra-5 spacecraft were among the first government missions… - source: orbitfab.com
2024-07-02 - Demonstration - Orbit Fab completes GRIP docking and refueling simulations at AFRL - A fuel-shuttle testbed approached, docked with and separated from a RAFTI-equipped satellite model across multiple angles and velocities. Government representatives observed testing at AFRL facilities at Kirtland Air Force Base. GRIP exceeded test… - source: orbitfab.com
2024-03-19 - Capability - Orbit Fab flight-qualifies RAFTI refueling port - RAFTI completed thermal, vibration and repeated fueling-cycle qualification tests. Customer shipments were underway after the qualification campaign. The RAFTI Ground Coupling extends the same interface to launch-site fueling. - source: orbitfab.com
2023-04-17 - Funding - Orbit Fab closes $28.5 million Series A - 8090 Industries led the $28.5 million Series A round. Stride Capital, Industrious Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Tribe Capital and other investors participated. Orbit Fab planned to expand RAFTI production and integration and deploy fuel infrastructure… - source: orbitfab.com
2022-04-07 - Partnership - Orbit Fab and Neutron Star Systems agree green-propellant refueling work - The agreement links Orbit Fab's refueling architecture with Neutron Star Systems' SUPREME electric thruster. The companies planned joint work on refuellable propulsion using non-toxic propellants. The collaboration targets longer-lived and more sustainable… - source: orbitfab.com
2022-03-14 - Award - Orbit Fab receives $12 million AFWERX STRATFI award - The $12 million STRATFI supports integration of RAFTI onto Department of Defense spacecraft. The program scales operations for government and commercial refueling demand. RAFTI had been selected as the primary interface for multiple DoD on-orbit refueling… - source: orbitfab.com
2022-01-24 - Partnership - Orbit Fab and Phase Four sign in-orbit refueling memorandum - The companies will evaluate refueling with xenon and the advanced propellant ASCENT. The work pairs Orbit Fab's RAFTI interface with Phase Four's propellant-agnostic RF Thruster architecture. The memorandum is intended to give future Maxwell customers an… - source: orbitfab.com
2022-01-11 - Commercial Order - Astroscale signs first commercial on-orbit fuel purchase with Orbit Fab - The agreement covers up to 1,000 kilograms of xenon for Astroscale's LEXI servicer fleet. LEXI was designed to integrate Orbit Fab's RAFTI interface and receive fuel from a GEO shuttle. The signed take-or-pay contract was Orbit Fab's first commercial… - source: orbitfab.com
2021-11-16 - Partnership - Orbit Fab and Dawn Aerospace partner on green-propellant refueling - The companies completed a materials study covering compatibility between Dawn propellants and RAFTI ports. Qualification work on the combined interface and propellants was in progress. RAFTI fueling ports were planned as an option for Dawn propulsion… - source: orbitfab.com
2021-10-04 - Product Launch - Orbit Fab releases RAFTI refueling interface under open license - The open license defines the mechanical, electrical and functional specifications for RAFTI. A certified-partner program covers manufacture of the service valve and ground coupling. The RAFTI service valve had already been demonstrated on Tanker-001 Tenzing… - source: orbitfab.com
2021-10-01 - Partnership - Orbit Fab and AFRL sign on-orbit refueling research agreement - The CRADA covers work with AFRL's Space Vehicle Directorate and Spacecraft Technology Division. Orbit Fab agreed to share technical details and make RAFTI and docking-guidance hardware available for review. AFRL would advise on requirements and designs and… - source: orbitfab.com
2021-09-07 - Funding - Orbit Fab closes financing above $10 million - Asymmetry Ventures led the financing, which closed above $10 million. Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin Ventures, SpaceFund and other investors participated. The capital supports adoption and commercialization of on-orbit refueling services. - source: orbitfab.com
2019-06-18 - Demonstration - Orbit Fab completes private water-transfer demonstration on the ISS - The Furphy payload completed water-transfer operations aboard the International Space Station. The work was the first private resupply of water to the station using proprietary refueling equipment. The flight demonstrated propellant-storage and delivery… - source: orbitfab.com

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