The UK Space Agency is advancing satellite sustainability by funding a pivotal refuelling project.
- A £1m grant is dedicated to collaboration between Magdrive and Orbit Fab.
- The partnership focuses on using in-space metal for satellite refuelling, enhancing cost-effectiveness and sustainability.
- Magdrive’s innovative SuperMagdrive thruster plays a central role in this project.
- This initiative is part of the National Space Innovation Programme, unveiled at an international congress.
The UK Space Agency has taken a significant step towards enhancing the sustainability of space travel by granting £1 million to a project led by space technology companies Magdrive and Orbit Fab. The collaboration aims to develop methods for refuelling satellites utilising in-space resources, potentially transforming the economics and environmental impact of future space missions.
Central to this initiative is Magdrive’s SuperMagdrive thruster, a propulsion system designed to be refuelled with metal found in space environments. This innovative approach not only promises to lower costs but also aligns with global efforts to make space ventures more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
The two companies formalised their collaboration through a memorandum of understanding signed recently. Mark Stokes, CEO of Magdrive, emphasised the importance of this partnership, stating that it marks a crucial step towards achieving more efficient and ambitious space missions by combining their propulsion expertise with Orbit Fab’s refuelling technologies.
This funding forms part of the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to fostering advanced space technologies. The announcement of this collaboration was made public at the 75th International Astronautical Congress held in Milan, indicating significant industry interest and potential impact on global space exploration efforts.
Oxfordshire-based Magdrive is renowned for its innovative propulsion technology, while the US company Orbit Fab specialises in in-space refuelling services. Mark Stokes further highlighted the project’s potential for advancing deep-space missions by saying, “With the development of the SuperMagdrive and the ability to refuel using metal propellants sourced in space, we are moving closer to making deep-space missions not only possible but sustainable.”
This collaboration marks a pioneering advancement towards sustainable space travel through innovative refuelling technologies.
