For the First Time, a Robot Repaired a Satellite in Orbit (space.com) 38
Space.com calls it "the first commercial satellite servicing mission." But more specifically, it's being called "the first in-orbit rendezvous and docking of two commercial satellites" in a statement from Northrop Grumman Space Systems, which also notes their "subsequent repositioning of the two-spacecraft stack." And it was all done using robotics floating 36,000km (22,369 miles) above the Earth.
Space.com describes the historic servicing of Intelsat 901 communications satellite (also known IS-901): The satellite, which launched in 2001, had been running low on fuel needed to maintain its correct orbit. But rather than launch a replacement internet satellite, its owner, Intelsat, hired Northrop Grumman to conduct a first-of-its-kind mission. That project sent another satellite, called Mission Extension Vehicle 1 (MEV-1) to connect to IS-901 in February and take responsibility for keeping the internet satellite in the proper location to do its job...
MEV-1 will now spend five years attached to IS-901 to extend that satellite's tenure. After the contract ends, MEV-1 will steer the old satellite to a safe orbit, detach, and join up with a different satellite to provide the same services. MEV-1 should be able to partner with satellites for a total of 15 years, according to a previous Northrop Grumman statement.
Northrop Grumman is planning to launch a second mission-extension vehicle later this year, which will also aid an Intelsat satellite.
Long-time Slashdot reader mi tipped us off to the story, which included a number of firsts. "Prior to this, no two commercial spacecraft had ever docked in orbit before," Ars Technica writes.
CNBC notes it also resulted in "one-of-a-kind images", since a geosynchronous satellite had never even been photographed before by another spacecraft.
Space.com describes the historic servicing of Intelsat 901 communications satellite (also known IS-901): The satellite, which launched in 2001, had been running low on fuel needed to maintain its correct orbit. But rather than launch a replacement internet satellite, its owner, Intelsat, hired Northrop Grumman to conduct a first-of-its-kind mission. That project sent another satellite, called Mission Extension Vehicle 1 (MEV-1) to connect to IS-901 in February and take responsibility for keeping the internet satellite in the proper location to do its job...
MEV-1 will now spend five years attached to IS-901 to extend that satellite's tenure. After the contract ends, MEV-1 will steer the old satellite to a safe orbit, detach, and join up with a different satellite to provide the same services. MEV-1 should be able to partner with satellites for a total of 15 years, according to a previous Northrop Grumman statement.
Northrop Grumman is planning to launch a second mission-extension vehicle later this year, which will also aid an Intelsat satellite.
Long-time Slashdot reader mi tipped us off to the story, which included a number of firsts. "Prior to this, no two commercial spacecraft had ever docked in orbit before," Ars Technica writes.
CNBC notes it also resulted in "one-of-a-kind images", since a geosynchronous satellite had never even been photographed before by another spacecraft.
Modular Birds (Score:3, Interesting)
Multiple stations (Score:2)
I think that you have a point, though it would require a rather large number of platforms anyways.
I'm sure that while it would be an effort, you could design a modular bus and connection system. For example, solar panels hooking into designated ports, able to be replaced with relative ease. A robot arm like what's on the ISS, designed to be able to attach and detach components. Might want two - with each having the ability to replace the other.
Re: Modular Birds (Score:2)
Nice idea. Maybe also have somebody stationed there to turn them off and on again when needed.
Re:Modular Birds (Score:5, Insightful)
If you wanted to offer a bunch of different services in one location, something like that might work. But you'd still want to build a custom satellite rather than a modular system, because getting mass into orbit is very expensive, so no one's going to want to launch any more of it than absolutely necessary. The infrastructure for a modular system would be an unnecessary cost to launch hardware that might never actually get used.
Something like that might work for the geosynch satellites out in parking orbits after they reach their end of life, if it ever starts getting too cluttered out in that space. But people don't tend to care about what happens to the hardware in parking orbits. The story's Northrop project aims to extend the life of some of that hardware, but it still has to be in reasonable working order. Most of the satellites that would need something like that would by that time have been in space for a decade or so and are expected to start malfunctioning due to the radiation. So while this is a neat accomplishment, I expect it to be somewhat rare.
It could make sense to have a satellite manufacturing lab out there somewhere, though. If you can build them in space, it'd cost a lot less to move them to the correct orbit afterward. But you'd have to make your own fuel at that location, otherwise the cost of launching fuel to the lab (to fuel the satellites they would be building there) would be greater than the cost of launching all those satellites individually.
Space stuff gets done the way it gets done because it's the least expensive way to accomplish those goals. When you're talking hundreds of millions of dollars per launch, the least expensive option is always going to get chosen.
Re: (Score:2)
It would have to be very, very large though to provide adequate separation for multiple RF transmitters and receivers. Very, very strong as well.
We seem to be moving towards a low cost, small satellite model were we have very high levels of orbital pollution and are hoping that being relatively low and short lived will make up for that.
Re: (Score:2)
Very, very strong as well.
Not fucking hardly.
Sterilize Imperfection (Score:2)
You know the engineers wanted to name it Tan Ru, not MEV-1.
Re: (Score:2)
Wow, this simulation has really been malfunctioning badly the last few years.
This was news (Score:3)
...2 months ago when all the various space-watching news sources covered it.
First time? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
fnord?
Repair vs mission-extension vehicle? (Score:1)
A mission-extension vehicle is the use of another new vehicle to move existing tech around.
A robot moved a satellite in orbit?
Re:Repair vs mission-extension vehicle? (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree. The only "repair" was refueling. Whereas I can't find a detailed description, apparently the vehicle is designed to act more like a fuel tanker for refilling the hosts fuel system. As well as assisted inertia to reposition the host using the others propulsion.
This mission apparently it's going to stay connected as one device without refueling. The title is semi-clickbait, but mission completion is still pretty cool.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:1)
Sorry, but AFAIK "the fuel tanker" is a gross overstretch.
This "life extension module" screwed itself into the satellite engine through the nozzle, becoming a new navigation unit for this satellite - no refuelling, as this would require the original satellite to be equipped with such capability, which satellites in general are not. Why to screw through the nozzle - it's to have a hard grip, as the satellite was not designed to be docked to. Still impressive and important milestone.
The technology has also a
Pedantic: not really a repair... it's a suit! (Score:1)
I have to raise what may seem overly pedantic at first; this is not a repair.
But the reason I think it's OK to do so, is what this robot is doing seems almost cooler! It's like a flying mech-suit attaching to the satellite to give it staying power.
The fact that it can repeat this several times, makes it seem cooler than just a repair bot that went up to change out a fuel cell or what have you.
This is a really great News for Nerds item.
This is better than repair (Score:5, Insightful)
This is actually better than repair. By far.
Re: (Score:1)
Why not have an upgrade sat design ready and in production?
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The old tech gets pushed back into orbit for a few more years? Why not have an upgrade sat design ready and in production?
You need to deorbit or park old one anyway. At that point you need THIS module and you need a new satellite.
From a cost perspective it is MUCH more cost efficient to do this instead of replacing as long as the old one is perfectly serviceable and functional. The tech for geostationary TV relays has not changed much in a decade so the new SAT does not bring anything "new". Most of the "old" ones end up being parked or deorbited with their electronics working only because they are running low on propellant.
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NASA proposed missions like this in the 1970s, but of course Congress denied them funding. Later they proposed something like it when the reaction wheels on Hubble started failing, and of course Congress denied them funding. Nice to see that private industry is finally catching up to NASA's 1970s plans, maybe by 2040 they'll actually found the lunar colony that NASA proposed to open around 1984.
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Why not have an upgrade sat design ready and in production?
I was thinking the same thing. This mission couldn't have been cheap. This mission will keep the (15y/o) sat in-service for [only] another five years. A new sat would no-doubt quadruple the capability for another 15 years. How much more would that cost.
Then again, Starlink may buggy-whip this sat in five years, so why bother.
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Yes, but in 5yrs the tow truck will move to another satellite that it will be able to keep flying for another 5yrs.
Military applications (Score:2)
Indeed. The same machine, that can "two" our satellite into a good orbit, can also send an enemy's down the path to the burning in the atmosphere...
Scott Manley has his excellent video as usual (Score:3)
https://youtu.be/XBOQSRZSFgs?t... [youtu.be]
So... (Score:2)
If I push another car that ran out of gas with my car, I have now repaired it?
While impressive, I would have thought that it had actually refuelled the satellite by the headline title. I hope satellite manufacture gets standardised to a point where this is a normal thing in the future
Politics (Score:2)
The Canadians had such a repair robot ready when the last repair mission for Hubble was discussed.
In the end it was decided against using the Canadian option on political grounds alone, and the Space Shuttle was sent to do the repairs.
Now it seems that finally Northrop-Grumman finally managed to catch up.
Re: (Score:2)
There go the space jobs! (Score:2)
Repair robot? (Score:2)
It's a space hugger with a tank and rockets.
Long time reader? (Score:2)
Dang, that makes me feel old.
First thing that came to mind (Score:1)
Not repaired (Score:2)
The satellite wasn't repaired. I just got a tow truck.