Can Satellites Refuel in Space? Northrop Grumman and US Space Force Are Betting on It

California, USA - The U.S. Space Force is pushing ahead with plans to refuel satellites in orbit, handing Northrop Grumman a contract to make it happen. The mission, called Elixir, will test whether satellites can dock in space and transfer fuel, a capability that could be a game-changer for military space operations.

The deal builds on Northrop’s previous work on GAS-T (Geosynchronous Auxiliary Support Tanker), a prototype tanker satellite the company finished last year. Now, Elixir is expected to take that technology a step further by launching an actual in-orbit refuelling test aboard the ROOSTER-5 spacecraft, which was originally slated for a 2027 launch.

Northrop Grumman’s Lauren Smith, who leads the company’s in-space refuelling efforts, kept most of the details under wraps—including the contract value and launch timeline. But she made one thing clear: if this works, the Space Force could quickly scale up satellite refuelling as a standard capability.

Why In-Orbit Refueling Matters

Satellites usually run until they run out of fuel—at which point they either drift uselessly in orbit or burn up in the atmosphere. That’s a massive problem, especially for expensive, high-tech military satellites. Right now, keeping U.S. satellites operational means replacing them entirely, which takes years of planning and billions of dollars.

Refuelling changes the equation. If the military can extend a satellite’s lifespan, it wouldn’t need to launch replacements as often, saving money and keeping critical systems online for much longer. That’s especially important as China and Russia ramp up their space programs.

Elixir is meant to tackle three major challenges:

• Getting two satellites close enough together for a successful refuelling attempt.
• Physically docking them without causing damage.
• Transferring fuel from one to the other.

“It’s a carefully orchestrated dance,” Smith said. “We’re really looking forward to proving that out in orbit.”

China’s ‘Dogfighting’ in Space Raises the Stakes

The need for better space mobility isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about staying ahead of adversaries. The U.S. has been closely watching China’s increasingly aggressive manoeuvres in space, including on-orbit "dogfighting."

At a defence conference in March, Gen. Michael Guetlein described how U.S. intelligence has observed five Chinese satellites moving in and out around each other in perfect synchronization—essentially rehearsing tactics for satellite-on-satellite combat.

“That’s what we call dogfighting in space,” Guetlein said at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington. “They are practising tactics, techniques, and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another.”

If China is working toward a future where satellites can attack or disable each other, the U.S. needs to ensure its space assets aren’t just sitting ducks. A refuelling capability could give American satellites the ability to reposition, escape, or outlast potential threats.

Testing the Waters for a New Era in Space

Elixir isn’t the only refuelling test in the pipeline. The Space Force has several other missions planned, including a 2026 demonstration involving Astroscale U.S. and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Tetra-5 program. That effort will see two satellites attempting to dock with separate refuelling vehicles—one using Orbit Fab’s refuelling station and another using Astroscale’s docking system.

For now, the Space Force hasn’t committed to making satellite refuelling a permanent feature of its space operations, but these tests will help determine whether it’s a viable long-term solution.

The U.S. military has spent decades treating satellites as disposable, but the future of space warfare may demand a different approach. If the Elixir mission proves successful, it could mark the start of a new era where military satellites are built to last, manoeuvre, and survive in an increasingly hostile space environment. The technology is still in its early stages, but one thing is clear: space isn’t just about launching satellites anymore. It’s about keeping them in the fight.

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