Infrastructure · Orbital & Surface Infrastructure · Concept
Propellant Depot
An orbiting fuel station that stores propellant so spacecraft can refuel in space. A depot would let missions launch 'dry' and top up on orbit, breaking the tyranny of carrying all their propellant from the ground.
Highlights
- ›Refuel in orbit instead of launching full
Worlds, stations & materials
Knowledge connections
- Member of groupOrbital & Surface Infrastructure
- Associated withLH2 / LOX
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.