Creotech Instruments, a manufacturer of space systems listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, has become a partner in the ASTRAL project, which aims to demonstrate in-orbit refuelling of satellites. The Polish company is to supply two HyperSat platforms: one for the service craft and the other for the target satellite.
Both units are to fly as a combined assembly. Once in orbit, they will carry out a fuel transfer, separate, perform rendezvous manoeuvres and dock again. The mission is scheduled for 2028–2029. For the European space sector, this will serve as a test of the technologies required to develop In-Orbit Servicing, i.e. the maintenance and refuelling of satellites without bringing them back to Earth.
The first phase of Creotech’s work is worth around 250,000 euros and will last eight months. At this stage, the company will prepare technical documentation, requirements for platforms and interfaces, as well as plans for integration, testing and risk analysis. Orbit Fab, the consortium leader, had previously announced funding for the project of up to $3.8 million from the UK Space Agency and the ESA.
For Creotech, the contract is modest in financial terms compared with the budget for the entire project, but significant from a technological perspective. HyperSat is set to serve as the basis for a mission requiring autonomous docking and precise orbital manoeuvres. The company announced in 2026 that the platform’s key systems had been verified in orbit as part of the PIAST constellation.
OrbitFab’s selection of the HyperSat platform for the ASTRAL mission confirms the maturity of our technologies and their competitiveness in the international space market. At the same time, it opens the way for us to enter the field of in-orbit satellite servicing, which is set to be one of the fastest-growing sectors of the space economy in the coming years. Participation in this project allows us to develop capabilities that can be utilised in future commercial and institutional space missions, strengthening Creotech Instruments’ position as a supplier of advanced satellite platforms for demanding and pioneering tasks. – comments Dr Grzegorz Brona, Chairman of the Management Board of Creotech Instruments S.A.
The significance of ASTRAL extends beyond a single demonstration. ESA regards in-orbit servicing as part of a future, more circular space economy, in which satellites can be refuelled, upgraded and used for longer. Since 2019, NATO has recognised space as an operational domain, which increases the strategic importance of technologies that enhance the resilience of orbital infrastructure.
