A top National Space Council official, Diane Howard, has urged U.S. agencies to start budgeting for on-orbit satellite refueling and servicing capabilities as a signal to industry that they’re serious about pursuing new ways of operating in space.
Howard said agencies including the Space Force have done a good job in recent years articulating their interest in these types of capabilities, but now they need to act. Clear strategy, clear policy, clear requirements and real funding will send a consistent and reliable message to investors, to the private sector and to our international allies and partners. The service wants to demonstrate an on-orbit refueling capability by 2026 and created a servicing, mobility and logistics directorate to oversee these efforts and craft a roadmap for adopting these capabilities. The National Space Council, chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, has been taking steps to support companies as they develop “novel space activities” like refueling and repair systems, releasing a regulatory framework in late December.
Clare Martin, executive vice president of Astroscale U.S., said industry and the private investor community want to see the government put funding toward satellite servicing capabilities. Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter.
