A spacecraft that might orbit the planet and assist other vessels in need of refueling to prolong their missions is currently under construction.

The U.S. Space Force, which was established by Congress in 2019 to “preserve U.S. space superiority,” will support a $25.5 million Space Mobility and Logistics (SML) project at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, that would see the construction and testing of a small demonstration spacecraft.

The Astroscale Prototype Servicer for Refueling (APS-R) spacecraft, piloted by prime contractor Astroscale, will transport hydrazine propellant to spacecraft that are low on fuel from a store that is also in orbit.

The APS-R, which is expected to be launch-ready by 2026, is capable of servicing any spacecraft that has an appropriate refueling port.

“Gas-hungry spacecraft in Earth orbit are a common problem,” stated SwRI project systems engineer, Staff Engineer Steve Thompson. “Even though the vehicle can be in great condition overall, their mission finishes when they have used up all of their fuel.

“We can extend those missions with a refueling vehicle, and we can extend the lifetime of spacecraft that are currently in orbit.”

The APS-R will orbit the planet in a geostationary orbit, which means it will rotate in a circle in time with the planet’s 24-hour revolution.

“Recently, other approaches to life extension have emerged, such as a vehicle that can use its thrusters to push another spacecraft where it needs to go after it runs out of fuel,” Thompson said. “A refueling vehicle broadens life extension options with a flexible alternative.”

The relatively tiny host vehicle will be built by SwRI in the Institute’s new processing plant over the course of the next sixteen months.

When stowed for launch, the maximum dimensions are 24 by 28 by 45 inches, and the vehicle launch mass, including propellant, weighs just 437 pounds.

After the host spacecraft is finished, SwRI will integrate the payload provided by Astroscale and test the vehicle’s environmental system at the system level before launching it.