this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2024
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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

Interesting. So, there are at least 3 satellite fueling port standards now?

  • Dawn's new Docking and Fluid Transfer (DFT) port

  • OrbitFab's RAFTI

  • Northrop Grumman's Passive Refueling Module (PRM)

(not counting Russian/Chinese space station refueling)

I'm still not really sold on the market yet, but good on them for designing one and making it standard on their bigger systems. It'll never happen if no one tries!

[–] threelonmusketeers 4 points 1 month ago

The Docking and Fluid Transfer port will help Dawn customers gain access to future in-space refueling services. The port replaces standard manual fill and drain valves used for propellant loading on the ground.

The DFT port, which weighs 0.6 kilograms more than the hardware it replaces, can handle pressurized propellants nitrous oxide and propene or ethane. It also serves as a power and data connection.

In addition to refueling, Dawn’s port is a contact point for debris removal operations in low-Earth orbit

Seems like a neat all-purpose port. The propellant type seems a little unusual. Are there many spacecraft that use nitrous oxide and a short-chain hydrocarbon?