Interoperability in Space Tech: How Systems Work Together Across Missions

When we talk about interoperability, the ability of different space systems to communicate, share data, and operate together seamlessly. It's not just a buzzword—it’s what lets a SpaceX Starship dock with a lunar gateway built by NASA, or lets a European satellite relay data from a Japanese Mars rover. Without it, space becomes a collection of isolated islands instead of a connected network.

Interoperability isn’t just about plugs and protocols. It’s about trust. For example, satellite communication, the system that allows orbiting craft to exchange signals with ground stations and other spacecraft needs to follow common standards like CCSDS, so a U.S. GPS satellite can talk to a European weather orbiter. NASA, the U.S. agency leading deep space missions and setting global standards for space operations has spent decades pushing this—whether it’s making sure the ISS can accept cargo from Dragon, Cygnus, or future lunar landers, or ensuring that cryogenic propellant depots can be refueled by multiple providers. Even in-space refueling, the process of transferring fuel between spacecraft in orbit to extend mission range depends on interoperable docking interfaces and fuel line standards. If one company’s tanker can’t connect to another’s spacecraft, the whole system fails.

It’s the same in Earth orbit. Your phone’s GPS doesn’t just use American satellites—it pulls signals from Russia’s GLONASS, Europe’s Galileo, and China’s BeiDou. That’s interoperability in action. On the Moon, future bases will need to share power, data, and landing zones. Sintered regolith landing pads must be compatible with any lander. Water recycling systems on Mars missions will need to integrate with hardware from different countries. This isn’t science fiction—it’s the next decade of spaceflight. And right now, the biggest barrier isn’t technology. It’s politics, paperwork, and mismatched specs.

What you’ll find in these articles isn’t just theory. You’ll see how real missions—from formation flying satellites to urban GPS fixes—are solving interoperability problems on the ground and in orbit. You’ll learn how sensors on the ISS talk to Earth, how rocket engines are designed to work with multiple fuel sources, and why the next big leap in space isn’t about going faster, but about going together.