Orbital Operations wins $35m US award for cryogenic spacecraft demonstration

(SpaceEnergy) Orbital Operations has secured a US$35 million defence award to demonstrate its Astraeus spacecraft in orbit, advancing high-thrust propulsion and active refrigeration technology for long-duration cryogenic propellant storage.

The California-based company confirmed the award on 23 October, saying the funding would support a full-scale orbital demonstration of its two principal technologies: high-thrust propulsion and active refrigeration for storing liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

Astraeus is being developed as a reusable spacecraft capable of rapid manoeuvring between orbital regimes while maintaining cryogenic propellants for extended periods.

Its Boreas cryogenic management system is designed to prevent propellant boil-off, potentially allowing spacecraft to remain operational for years rather than being constrained by conventional cryogenic storage limitations.

The technology uses an architecture based on a reverse turbo-Brayton refrigeration cycle, which Orbital Operations says was developed in partnership with NASA through a Space Act Agreement.

The company is also developing its Typhon propulsion system to provide high-thrust orbital manoeuvring.

Orbital Operations said cryogenic propellant management in orbit had been an industry objective for decades but had yet to become an operationally deployed capability.

The award represents funding for a future demonstration, not confirmation that the propulsion and refrigeration technologies have been validated in orbit.