Refueling system for a spacecraft, and method for filling a fuel tank of a spacecraft

Abstract

A refueling system for a space vehicle, comprises a fuel tank assigned to the space vehicle, a cooling device assigned to the fuel tank, a fuel line which is connected to the fuel tank and is provided with a component of a coupling system so that it can be connected to a supply line, a shut-off valve being assigned to the fuel line, a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the fuel tank, a storage tank containing a liquid fuel, a heating device assigned to the storage tank, a supply line which is connected to the storage tank and is provided with another component of the coupling system so that it can be coupled to the fuel line, a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the storage tank, and a control which is coupled to the pressure sensors and can drive the shut-off valves, the heating device and the cooling device such that a volume flow of fuel from the storage tank to the fuel tank is achieved. Also disclosed is a method of filling a fuel tank of a space vehicle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.