A year ago, the Chief of Space Operations for the US Space Force just wasn’t sure if the on-orbit refueling business was worth the cost. https://spacenews.com/saltzman-space-force-still-grappling-with-refueling-math/
Cost is one factor to be considered for military acquisitions, to be sure. But another is tactical utility. Two approaches to achieving a goal may differ in both. The trick is to get the most tactical utility for a given cost.
GOOD NEWS: in order to make a decision, the Space Force is investing in some real tests. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/04/space-force-picks-up-pace-of-on-orbit-refueling-experiments/
The US government’s budgeting system separates defense spending from other categories. This brings a certain myopia to spending decisions: benefits in other sectors are not admissible when it comes to defense expenditures. China does not suffer from this problem.
But at least we’re moving forward. And as the DoD convinces itself that on-orbit refueling is tactically crucial, they will help industry mature the technology, inadvertently benefiting commercial satellites and NASA projects as well.
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