Infinite Orbits is advancing in-orbit servicing, space situational awareness, satellite life extension and sustainable space transportation through a portfolio of geostationary orbit (GEO) mission platforms designed to support the growing demand for orbital servicing and logistics. Infinite Orbits is addressing these challenges through a combination of autonomous navigation technologies, servicing spacecraft, and reusable orbital logistics vehicles capable of supporting long-term space infrastructure development. The company’s mission portfolio includes Orbit Guard, Endurance and GEORyder, each designed to address different aspects of geostationary orbit operations, from inspection and surveillance to life extension and satellite transportation.

At the forefront of Infinite Orbits’ mission portfolio is the Orbit Guard mission platform, a servicing spacecraft designed to provide in-situ surveillance and inspection services for satellites operating in geostationary orbit. Orbit Guard represents the first generation of Infinite Orbits’ servicing vehicles and has successfully reached orbit, becoming one of the first commercial European SmallSat platforms operating in GEO. The platform’s autonomous maneuvering capabilities further allow it to perform complex inspection missions while reducing the need for continuous ground intervention, supporting more efficient and responsive GEO surveillance operations.

Starcloud has signed a contract with Starlink to integrate its mini laser terminals. The deal covers 50+ Starlink Mini Lasers across 25+ satellites with the first hardware expected on orbit within one year.

Each of the Starcloud satellites will carry two Starlink Mini Laser terminals, the same laser crosslink technology that SpaceX developed for its Starlink constellation, providing up to 25 Gbps of continuous intersatellite connectivity at distances up to 4,000 km and are capable of higher link speeds at shorter distances.

The terminals enable direct optical links between Starcloud satellites and the Starlink constellation using laser light, eliminating the need for Starcloud to send data directly through bandwidth-constrained ground stations.

The company’s satellites are designed around four core components: solar panels for power, radiators for cooling, GPUs for compute, and laser terminals for connectivity. With compute proven on orbit via Starcloud-1’s NVIDIA H100, and 100x power generation and cooling coming on Starcloud-2 in eight months, the Starlink Space Lasers complete the hardware stack.

Space Force plans nationwide network of ‘resilient operations centers’

These facilities are intended to ensure military space missions can continue during wartime when installations could come under attack. The U.S. Space Force’s proposed $71 billion budget for fiscal 2027 is drawing attention for its investments in missile-warning satellites, proliferated low Earth orbit constellations and other big-ticket systems. Less visible, but increasingly central to the service’s plans, is a major buildout of the ground infrastructure needed to operate those systems during a conflict.

Fiat currency is too costly to secure, transport, and regulate for space exploration. Its high latency cripples off-world commerce, making Bitcoin and blockchain essential for jumpstarting a frictionless interplanetary economy.

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New Satellite Refueling Partnership Set to Boost Space Sustainability

Orbit Fab and Thales Alenia Space have announced a new partnership aimed at revolutionizing spacecraft longevity and sustainability. Unveiled against the backdrop of the Space Propulsion 2026 conference, the collaboration focuses on a joint project supported by the UK Space Agency. The initiative merges the specialized skills of both companies to design a novel architecture for satellite refueling, addressing the growing need for resilient space operations.

The REEF Demonstrator
At the heart of this collaboration is the Refuellable Electric Engine Flatsat, known as REEF. Teams from Orbit Fab and Thales Alenia Space in the United Kingdom are working together to build this ground-based demonstrator. The flatsat serves as an essential testing platform, allowing engineers to comprehensively validate fluid interfaces, operational procedures, and innovative concepts for the in-orbit refueling of electric propulsion systems. The concept of REEF has been formed and the preliminary design of the system has begun. Full system breadboard testing of REEF will be completed by early 2027.

Thales Alenia Space contributes its extensive background in spacecraft propulsion subsystems to ensure the architecture can practically extend mission lifetimes and improve operational flexibility.

Driving a Circular Space Economy
This joint venture represents a significant shift toward designing spacecraft that are meant to be serviced, upgraded, and refueled rather than eventually abandoned as debris. By promoting reuse and life extension, the REEF project supports a circular economy in space, which minimizes orbital waste and maximizes the return on investment for orbital assets.

Jacob Geer, the managing director of Orbit Fab in Europe, noted that integrating their proprietary interface technology with the electric propulsion expertise of Thales Alenia Space is a natural combination. He emphasized that collaborations like this are vital for making in-orbit refueling a practical reality for operators across Europe as the demand for sustainable spacecraft increases.

Setting the Industry Standard
Orbit Fab is already laying the groundwork for widespread in-orbit servicing infrastructure to ensure any satellite can be refueled. The Colorado-headquartered company, which also operates facilities in the United Kingdom, currently has its first fuel depot in orbit.

Over the next two years, they plan to launch four additional refueling missions to demonstrate services to customers. These efforts rely on their specialized RAFTI refueling interface, which replaces traditional satellite service valves for ground fueling without adding significant cost, weight, volume, or complexity to the client spacecraft. The primary propellants demonstrated within REEF are xenon and krypton. These noble gases are widely used in spacecraft electric propulsion systems, making them the leading candidates for refuelling within a system such as REEF.

Available under an open license, this interface is rapidly becoming the de facto industry standard, paving the way for dozens of client satellites currently in development to receive fuel deliveries in orbit.