A satellite refuelling nozzle developed by Northrop Grumman is selected as a preferred standard for US military satellites, according to the company’s announcement.

Specifically, the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command designated Northrop Grumman’s Passive Refuelling Module (PRM) as a suitable interface to enable future in-space refuelling of military satellites. 

The PRM has a docking mechanism to allow a refuelling vehicle in orbit to transfer propellant to another satellite to extend its useful life.

Lauren Smith, program manager for in-space refuelling at Northrop Grumman, said that the selection of the PRM was based on the maturity and technical viability of the design as well as the company’s experience servicing satellites in orbit.

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Northrop Grumman’s Space Logistics subsidiary remains the only firm to have successfully serviced satellites in geostationary orbit, having docked twice with Intelsat satellites some 22,000 miles above Earth to extend spacecraft life.  

The adoption of Northrop Grumman’s PRM, while not exclusive, marks the first time the Space Force has publicly identified a preferred system. 

The Space Force is also evaluating other technologies, including a refuelling interface developed by the startup Orbit Fab, known as the Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI). Other companies, such as Lockheed Martin and Astroscale, too, are developing interfaces to connect satellites with servicing vehicles. 

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Northrop Grumman also has secured a Space Force contract of undisclosed value to develop a dedicated tanker satellite for geosynchronous orbit missions that would carry up to 1,000 kilograms of hydrazine and deliver fuel in space. 

The flying gas station, named Geosynchronous Auxiliary Support Tanker, or GAS-T, will be built on a Northrop Grumman ESPAStar D ring-shaped bus, a relatively large platform of nearly 2,000 kilograms.

The orbiting tanker will carry enough hydrazine to refuel multiple satellites. Rather than serve as just a fuel depot, the GAS-T will approach and dock with the satellite, performing proximity operations.

Smith said GAS-T is being financed with a combination of Space Force and internal company investment. There is still no timeline for its delivery or deployment in orbit. 

The ESPAStar-D satellite bus has multiple ports, one of which would carry the refuelling payload. The others would serve as external fuel tanks. The refuelling payload will have a so-called Active Refuelling Module or ARM. 

With the satellite refuelling industry still in its infancy, the Space Force’s endorsement arguably gives Northrop Grumman a first-mover advantage and establishes an early standard in a market that has yet to adopt formal specifications.

The Space Systems Command intends to release the technical specifications of the PRM module to the industry soon. 

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