In a first, Space Force to require refueling capability for next-gen neighborhood watch sats

AFA 2025 — The Space Force’s next-generation space domain awareness satellites will be equipped with a capability to be refueled on orbit — the first time the service has put such a requirement in an official acquisition program.

“I mandated that, and was very militant about that,” Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, acting Air Force assistant secretary for acquisition and integration, said today.

Space Systems Command is gearing up a draft request for proposal for the RG-XX program to replace the current Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) constellation, in hopes of issuing it by the end of the year. While the plan is for there to be multiple providers, the Space Force intends to own and operate the new satellites.

While the GSSAP birds have some capability to maneuver, they are constrained in how far and how fast they can move by the fact that them carry a limited amount of fuel. Being equipped to allow refueling will give the Space Force more freedom to undertake what is known as rendezvous and proximity operations to keep tabs on adversary satellites.

“To be blunt, US Space Command has been very open about that desire [for] on-orbit servicing and mobility. Given our funding situation, it’s been difficult to stand up an … actual program. So, we’re looking at this one to kind of get our foot in the door,” Purdy told reporters during the annual Air and Space Forces Association conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

He noted that one complication is that the Space Force intends to make multiple contract awards for the RG-XX constellation, there is a strong likelihood that satellites from different vendors will use different fuels.

“And so now we’re thinking through that, okay, what does that mean? Well, I might ask them to bring their own refueler,” Purdy said. On the other hand, he said, the Space Force could simply buy services from “contractor-owned, contractor-operated” re-fueling spacecraft.

The Space Force currently has two contractors working to demonstrate re-fueling capabilities: Northrop Grumman and Astroscale US.

“So that’s a subject of rapid, active debate that we’re working on right now,” Purdy said.