NASA to Test In-Space Cryogenic Fuel Storage and Refueling with LOXSAT Mission

NASA is advancing its concept of "gas stations in space" with the Liquid Oxygen Flight Demonstration (LOXSAT) mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than July 17, 2026. This small satellite will test the long-term storage, measurement, and transfer of super-cold liquid oxygen in orbit, a critical technology for future human missions to the Moon, Mars, and deeper space. The mission will spend nine months in low Earth orbit testing 11 cryogenic fluid management technologies, with the payload built by Eta Space and Rocket Lab providing the satellite bus and launch services.