# Spaceium releases OpenPort, an open-source two-way spacecraft refueling port licensed for $1

- Published: 2026-11-13 14:51 UTC
- Section: Sky & Space › Space
- Tags: Spaceium OpenPort, spacecraft refueling interface, orbital refueling standard, xenon transfer in orbit, androgynous docking port, ISS external payload, Voyager Technologies, propellant as a service, orbital refueling stations
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-9697da3db2b0acae3a671806_spaceium_releases_openport/

**Spaceium's OpenPort interface transfers propellant between spacecraft in either direction. An ISS demonstration will test what the company calls the first xenon transfer in orbit.**

![Spaceium releases OpenPort, an open-source two-way spacecraft refueling port licensed for $1](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/5e9da62abcce9941.webp)
*Interesting Engineering*

Spaceium has released OpenPort, an open-source spacecraft refueling interface that any company can license and manufacture for $1, Interesting Engineering reports. [1] The design is androgynous: the same connection sits on both spacecraft, so propellant can be transferred in either direction. [1] The hardware will be demonstrated aboard the International Space Station. [1]

## Why a common refueling interface

Most satellites carry a fixed supply of propellant for their planned missions. When it runs low, operators often retire spacecraft whose electronics and other systems still work. [1]

Standardized connections are lacking. Manufacturers develop their own interfaces, so operators have to check compatibility before arranging a fuel transfer, and a tanker from one company might not connect with another manufacturer's spacecraft. [1]

Because the connection is identical on both sides, a satellite could potentially refuel another spacecraft instead of relying only on dedicated tankers. [1] OpenPort also replaces a conventional fill-and-drain valve, which typically serves ground fueling before launch; the new port stays functional after the spacecraft reaches orbit. [1] Spaceium says the design handles higher pressures and greater docking misalignment than competing refueling interfaces. [1]

## ISS demonstration and business model

Spaceium plans to fly the hardware as a NASA-approved external payload through Voyager Technologies' commercial payload service. [1] The interface will transfer xenon between two tanks in orbit, which Spaceium describes as the first xenon transfer performed in orbit. [1] The mission will test whether spacecraft can exchange propellant through a standardized connection. [1]

The demonstration follows another Spaceium mission in February 2026. Its precision robotic actuator completed its first space mission after launching aboard a SpaceX rideshare. [1]

The company's broader business model centers on automated orbital stations that sell propellant as a service. Co-founder and CEO Ashi Dissanayake said: "The port isn't the business. The stations are." [1] Spaceium plans stations in low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit, with longer-term ambitions that include stations along routes to the Moon. [1]

Spaceium was founded by Dissanayake and Reza Fetanat and joined Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch. Its commercial customers include operators pursuing orbital transfer vehicles, lunar missions and geostationary satellites. [1]

## Sources

1. [Interesting Engineering](https://interestingengineering.com/space/spaceium-one-dollar-spacecraft-refueling-port)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-9697da3db2b0acae3a671806_spaceium_releases_openport/