WASHINGTON — Quantum Space has won a Pentagon contract to develop a spacecraft capable of transferring propellant to satellites in geostationary orbit.
The Rockville, Maryland-based company said June 18 it will build the orbital refueling vehicle using its Ranger platform, a maneuverable spacecraft designed for missions including satellite servicing, space logistics and other operations.
The contract, whose value was not disclosed, is funded by the Department of Defense’s Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund, or OECIF. Quantum said it expects to deliver the vehicle by 2028 and that the fuel depot will be compatible with military client spacecraft.
Quantum’s chief executive Jim Bridenstine described the award as an important step toward establishing a broader in-space logistics infrastructure to support long-duration military operations.
The award signals that the Pentagon views satellite fuel as a resource that could be replenished rather than a finite commodity that determines when a spacecraft must be retired.
“For years, in-space refueling has been a concept on our capability roadmaps. Today, we are investing to make it an operational reality,” said Chris DePuma, head of the operational energy and combat power portfolio at OECIF.
The fund provides seed money for technologies intended to improve military effectiveness while reducing logistical burdens. In-space refueling is one of the areas identified by the program for investment.
Quantum’s Ranger spacecraft are designed to carry payloads ranging from roughly 500 kilograms to 2,000 kilograms, with larger variants capable of carrying several metric tons of propellant. The spacecraft is being developed with a multimode propulsion system that combines chemical and electric propulsion using a single fuel type.
The company was founded in 2021 to develop spacecraft for lunar and cislunar missions but has repositioned itself as national security space company focused on orbital logistics, satellite servicing and space mobility.
Earlier this month, Quantum announced plans to go public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company Inflection Point Acquisition Corp.
The company is one of 14 firms selected for the U.S. Space Force’s Andromeda contract vehicle, a multibillion-dollar indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity program focused on spacecraft and technologies for monitoring activity in geostationary orbit.
Under Andromeda, Quantum is offering its Ranger spacecraft for space domain awareness missions involving the monitoring and characterization of satellites and other objects in orbit. The Space Force has indicated that future geostationary surveillance spacecraft should be designed to support refueling.
Quantum said it plans to use its Andromeda spacecraft design as a client vehicle in a future geostationary orbit refueling demonstration.
“As a performer on the Andromeda IDIQ we are co-developing our Andromeda spacecraft with the Quantum Space fuel depot,” a company spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the company is evaluating multiple launch options for the demonstration mission.
The contract places Quantum in a niche market for on-orbit logistics. Companies including Orbit Fab, Astroscale and Northrop Grumman already hold government-backed contracts to demonstrate satellite refueling capabilities over the next several years.
Quantum’s tanker spacecraft will carry two different refueling interfaces, one developed by Orbit Fab and the other by Northrop Grumman. Both companies’ fuel-transfer systems have been adopted by the Space Force as standard interfaces, potentially allowing the vehicle to service a broader range of future military and commercial satellites.
Quantum has outlined plans for multiple Ranger spacecraft variants but has not yet flown the platform.
The company has said its Ranger Prime mission will serve as the first flight demonstration of the platform. Quantum announced last year it was targeting a mid-2026 launch, but the mission has now slipped to the second quarter of 2027.
