Orbit Fab receives €750k to work with Telecoms primes on refuelling their GEO satellites and dedicates demo mission for new refuelling valve to wartime Engineer Beatrice Shilling
HARWELL, England and LAFAYETTE, Colo., July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Orbit Fab, the in-orbit logistics company pioneering space sustainability and dynamic space operations, today unveiled their next steps to refuel satellites at the UK Space Conference in Manchester.
The UK Minister responsible for space, Chris Bryant, announced Orbit Fab had won €750,000 of funding from the UK Space Agency delivered through the European Space Agency's (ESA) ARTES programme to work with commercial satellite operators and extend the life of communication satellites.
Named project "RADICAL", short for "Refuelling Architecture Development for In-Orbit Communications and Logistics", the project will develop comprehensive refuelling services for spacecrafts, initially targeting the satellite communications (satcom) market. The project will enable telecoms satellite in Geostationary orbit to be refuelled, extending their life and delivering far greater efficiency, revenue, and reliability of satellite missions.
Orbit Fab will work with a major prime and satellite operator to adapt their mission operations and platform to enable refuelling. The project directly supports ESA's commitment to space sustainability and responsible operations and builds on Orbit Fab's signature of the ESA Zero Debris Charter in 2024.
Dr Craig Brown, Director of Investment at the UK Space Agency, said: "Extending the life of satellites through in-orbit refuelling represents a critical step toward a more commercial and sustainable satellite communications ecosystem. By collaborating with Orbit Fab and UK telecoms operators and manufacturers, we are enabling new revenue models, reducing replacement costs, and boosting operational uptime—critical factors for strengthening the UK's commercial competitiveness within the global satellite communications market."
Orbital "Shilling" Demonstration of new RAFTI valve
Orbit Fab also revealed their next in-orbit demonstration mission — "Shilling" — at the UK Space Conference. The mission will showcase a new high-pressure variant of the company's RAFTI refuelling interface, developed in the UK to enhance satellite reusability, reduce space debris, and support future orbital defence resilience.
Launching in early 2026 from India on a spacecraft built by Exotopic and Third Planet Orbital, the Shilling mission will validate advanced sealing technology critical to fuel containment and transfer in space. The high pressure RAFTI interface supports high-pressure propellant systems, enabling longer-lasting, more compact, and more capable satellite operations.
"Satellites don't fail because of weak hardware or software — they fail because they run out of fuel," said Jacob Geer, Orbit Fab Managing Director. "And when satellites run out of fuel they stop delivering the services we depend upon. Or, it they are military satellites, become vulnerable to attack in orbit. With the Shilling mission, we're demonstrating how UK-developed technology can change that reality — enabling a sustainable, secure orbital economy.
A Mission Inspired by Beatrice Shilling
Orbit Fab's mission honours Beatrice "Tilly" Shilling OBE, a pioneering British engineer and University of Manchester alumna whose wartime innovation helped turn the tide of World War II. Shilling designed a crucial fix for the Spitfire engine's fuel system, enabling allied aircraft to maintain performance during critical combat manoeuvres.
Working at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in Farnborough, Shilling's engineering brilliance is now commemorated by a Wetherspoons pub bearing her name, "The Tilly Shilling," while her legacy continues through a University of Manchester bursary for female engineers.
Much like her wartime innovation solved a high-stakes fuel-flow challenge in aviation, Orbit Fab's new RAFTI valve addresses similar challenges in space — with the goal of protecting allied satellites and advancing space sustainability for future generations.
"We chose the name 'Shilling' to honour her engineering and design brilliance, resilience, and Manchester roots," said Jacob Geer "Her work helped secure victory in a past conflict — ours aims to prepare for the challenges ahead. Dedicating this to Beatrice Shilling, who was instrumental in enhancing the Spitfire's engines to win the Battle of Britain, seems very fitting as we improve military satellite's engines. Space is becoming a military domain like any other. Her work helped secure victory in a past conflict — ours aims to prepare for the challenges ahead
About Orbit Fab
Orbit Fab is building the infrastructure for a sustainable and secure space economy by pioneering on-orbit satellite refuelling. With its RAFTI refuelling ports and a network of space-based fuel depots, Orbit Fab enables reusable satellites and long-duration missions for commercial, scientific, and defence applications. Orbit Fab is headquartered in Colorado, USA, and the UK subsidiary has operated since 2022.
RAFTI™ (Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface) is the Space industry-standard satellite refuelling interface. RAFTI is an open-license cooperative docking and refueling interface that replaces every satellite's fill and drain valve to enable on-orbit and ground fueling.
More details on Beatrice Shilling OBE and her work can be found here on the BBC website:, along with these details on the University of Manchester Scholarship for female engineers named in her honour.
Media Contact
Jake Greer, Orbit Fab, 1 563-260-4169, [email protected], www.orbitfab.com
SOURCE Orbit Fab
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