The tree · Launch · World event · Leaf: could resolve within 1 to 5 years

A hundred tonnes of propellant are pumped from one spacecraft to another in orbit

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Everything beyond low Earth orbit on a reusable architecture depends on refilling ships in space, which has been done only at small scale. A hundred-tonne transfer is the size that a lunar landing or a Mars departure needs, and the demonstrations are scheduled within a few years.

What counts as it having happened

At least one hundred tonnes of propellant are transferred between two vehicles in orbit in a single operation, confirmed by the operator and by the customer agency's public record.

Settled by: The operator's mission record and the customer agency's milestone acceptance

Probability, by longevity scenario

baseline2071 ± 8moderate2080strong2095radical2136openno deadline
90%93%95%97%97%

Each number is the chance this resolves yes before that scenario's window closes, given that everything it depends on resolves first. Estimated 2026-09-19.

Why these numbers: Contracted, funded, and scheduled within a few years, with the lunar program depending on it; the risk is delay, not failure.


Think this node is wrong, missing a dependency, or estimated badly? Open an issue about it, or read how critique gets folded into the tree. The record itself is data/L-launch.toml in the public repository.