By: Joshua Finley

Here’s How They’re Strapping a Propulsion Jetpack Onto Satellites After They Launch

Imagine if you couldn’t refill your car’s gas tank but still needed to travel long distances. When the car runs out of gas…you walk? Unfortunately, that’s what happens today for all space systems built and launched; they can’t be refueled and are thrown away. They are built, fueled once, launched, do their one job, and then retire (or burn up if in LEO). Transitioning space into a reusable economy requires bold thinking, innovative technology, and a lot of imagination. Arkisys and GATE Space teamed up to tackle this challenge by enabling space systems to move around and last longer by adding gas tanks plus rockets—or Jetpacks—to them after they achieve orbit.

A Demonstration of Innovation

A recent demonstration on Arkisys’s testbed proved it’s possible to add a GATE Space propulsion system to a mock satellite, after it gets to orbit, robotically. “Using our autonomous robotics on our Port Module, we validated transferring a full-scale Jetpack onto a separate spacecraft is possible,” says Dr. Rahul Rughani, Chief Systems Engineer for Arkisys. “The sea change to in-space mobility that GATE Space separable Jetpacks offer fundamentally shifts any satellite system from single orbit single life into a multi-orbit extended life and orbital capability.”  This follows the success of Space Logistics MEV demonstration where a new “servicing” satellite was attached to a geostationary satellite and provided stability and thus life extension in a single orbit.  Jetpacks extend the range of a satellite from one orbit to another or allow much lower altitude satellites the ability to stay up longer.

The Vision for Space Port Modules

Arkisys’s goal is helping companies transition from optimizing and managing space systems built on the ground to leveraging the unique environment of space for exponential growth. “If you look at the Earth’s circular economy, one key enabler for global trade, services, and country collaborations to achieve reusability are nautical ports,” says David Barnhart, Arkisys CEO. “In space, a ‘harbor’ can be any orbit, and we are building scalable ‘Port Module’ platforms that allow for constant arrivals and departures of satellites and space vehicles, cargo/payload offload, onboard services, and the creation of a thriving customer marketplace, which includes the ability to extend the life and reach of satellites after they launch,” Barnhart explains.  With its partners Motiv Space Systems supporting initial robotics and iBoss Inc providing the “connectors” Arkisys is showing how services onboard a Space Port would actually work.

The Role of GATE Space

GATE Space represents one of the unique companies around the world today pioneering technology that, when teamed with the Arkisys Port Module, can enable true re-usability in orbit. GATE Space’s unique Jetpack modules are engineered to accommodate any satellite customer, offering on-demand maneuverability. Clemens Weisgram, GATE Space’s Co-Founder, was super excited to team up with Arkisys to demonstrate a robotic post-launch capability. “This demonstration validates our concept of modularity to propulsion and in-space maneuverability for New Space companies,” he says.

The Path to a Circular Economy in Space

Arkisys’s ground testbed is now hosting a number of new companies to show the power of an autonomous robotic stable Space Port can do to grow markets post-launch, the first step in establishing a true circular re-usable economy in space. The company achieved a significant milestone along the path to demonstrate the power of its approach in early May, successfully showing a satellite can actually be built using robotics, AI, and autonomous software in just one hour. “Consider the exponential paradigm shift of being able to build any type of space system on orbit in a matter of hours, instead of the months or years that is typical,” Barnhart says. “With this latest demo with GATE Space, we are opening up the ability to extend existing legacy satellites with greater orbital reach and extending their life. This translates to more revenue over a longer period, the first step in showing the value of re-usability!”

Arkisys’s Future Plans

Arkisys stands out as a trailblazer in space logistics and on-orbit modification after launch and is on a mission to revolutionize space systems with its innovative on-orbit Port Platforms. The company aims to create scalable infrastructure in space, akin to ports on Earth, facilitating a thriving ecosystem for arrivals, departures, and a variety of onboard in-space services at price points that accelerate customer growth.

As Rughani excitedly puts it, “Demos with GATE Space and other new companies now validate and help change thinking of what is possible today. The coolest thing? We are showing the technology and capability is not science fiction anymore. A new generation of space pioneers is showing the science future imagined in the past is happening today!”

Learn more about Arkisys GATE Space, Motiv and iBoss capabilities by visiting their websites: Arkisys, GATE Space, Space Robotics | Motor Controllers | Mechanisms | Space Systems (motivss.com),  iBOSS | Standards ENABLING YOUR Business

Published by: Martin De Juan