Orbital Systems

Space has become infrastructure. The satellites orbiting Earth are not scientific experiments: they are the backbone of global communications, GPS, climate monitoring, and national security. And like all infrastructure, they age. A satellite in geostationary orbit has a limited operational life not because the technology wears out, but because it runs out of fuel — which often represents only a small fraction of its total cost. When the fuel runs out, a functional satellite is abandoned, becoming space debris. Orbital Systems, a German startup based in Munich, aims to change this logic by building the infrastructure for in-orbit satellite servicing. The company develops vehicles and infrastructure for in-orbit satellite servicing: systems capable of reaching an existing satellite, refueling it, correcting its orbit, or repairing faulty components, extending the satellite's operational life by years. This solves three problems simultaneously: it reduces operating costs for satellite operators who would otherwise need to replace depleted satellites; it decreases the amount of space debris threatening useful orbits; and it enables more efficient use of the resources invested in satellite construction and launch. The target market includes commercial satellite operators, government space agencies, and armed forces with strategically critical satellite constellations to keep operational as long as possible. Demand is set to grow with the proliferation of small satellite constellations in low Earth orbit. The business model is still being defined: satellite servicing is a nascent market where pricing will be based on service contracts with operators, likely structured as per-mission fees for refueling or maintenance. The technological and regulatory barriers are high, but whoever clears them first gains a dominant position in a market with few credible competitors. Orbital Systems fits into the new European space economy, where the distinction between civilian and military applications is becoming increasingly blurred and satellite servicing is increasingly seen as continental strategic infrastructure.