Orion Space Solutions to expand its work demonstrating refueling in space capabilities for U.S. Space Force

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Nov 19, 2024, 09:00 ET

CHANTILLY, Va., Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Orion Space Solutions (Orion), a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcfield, announced today that it has been awarded additional work from the United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) to support the Tetra-6 mission. The additional four-year award extends Orion's Tetra-5 prime contract, and work on both missions will address the challenge of refueling in space.

The Tetra-6 mission will further enhance the capability of on-orbit refueling by demonstrating an additional refueling capability than the one used by the Tetra-5 spacecraft. Orion's Tetra-6 SmallSat prototype spacecraft is already under development and is expected to launch in 2027, just two years after its predecessor program. Both programs will have at least a two-year mission life in geostationary orbit (GEO).

"We are thrilled to expand our partnership with SSC to thoroughly demonstrate and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of on-orbit refueling," said Chad Fish, president and general manager of Orion. "We believe that the Orion solutions will deliver cost-effective capabilities in support of the USSF's mission to achieve dynamic space operations."

Once launched, Orion will be the first company to have deployed assets demonstrating refueling at GEO, as well as the first to host all available commercial refueling mechanisms.

"Our Orion team of expert engineers and scientists have a knack for solving some of the most complex and never-been-solved-before challenges in support of national security space missions," said Kevin Kelly, chairman and chief executive officer of Arcfield. "I am proud of the team on this achievement and look forward to two successful missions ahead for our SSC customer."

About Orion Space Solutions, an Arcfield Company

Orion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcfield, was born from the vision to apply fundamental space physics knowledge to real-world problems. A leader in the small satellite industry, Orion leverages scientific and engineering expertise to develop unique solutions to address complex space-based challenges to turn science into data and data into knowledge. Visit orion.arcfield.com for more details.

SOURCE Arcfield