Patent ID: 7575200

Claim:
A propellant depot comprising: a utility box having space flight equipment; an exchangeable propellant cartridge system; a propellant cartridge adaptor coupled to said exchangeable propellant cartridge system; a propellant cartridge system docking port coupled to the utility box, wherein said propellant cartridge system docking port is removably coupled to said propellant cartridge adaptor and wherein said propellant cartridge system docking port has propellant line couplings for connecting propellant lines in said utility box to propellant lines in said exchangeable propellant cartridge system; at least one docking coupler for coupling to an approaching spacecraft; a controller controlling the transfer of propellant from within said exchangeable propellant cartridge system to said spacecraft; a first plurality of propellant lines which transfer propellant to said at least one docking coupler; and a second plurality of propellant lines, coupled to said exchangeable propellant cartridge system through said propellant cartridge system docking port and coupled to said first plurality of propellant lines, such that propellant passes from the exchangeable propellant cartridge system through the second plurality of propellant lines, through the first plurality of propellant lines, to a docked spacecraft.