This artist’s concept shows a servicing spacecraft, left, approaching satellite needing assistance. NASA is developing technology needed to bring a high-technology “gas pump, robotic mechanic and tow truck” to satellites in orbit. Image credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
By Bob Granath
NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center
With satellites playing increasingly important roles in everyday life, NASA is developing the technology to build Earth-orbiting, roving “service stations” capable of extending the life of these spacecraft. Engineers at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida are assisting the space agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., in developing the concept for bringing a high-technology gas pump, robotic mechanic and tow truck to satellites in space.
Berlin, 13 September 2012 (Astrium PR)– Astrium, Europe’s leading space company, is preparing a new technology mission for the maintenance and disposal of satellites. Today, at the ILA Berlin Air Show, the DLR Space Administration announced that Astrium Friedrichshafen will be the prime contractor for the definition phase of the DEOS (German orbital servicing mission) project. The order is worth a total of around €13 million. The definition phase is the last, decisive step before construction begins on the space vehicles themselves.
Robotic Refueling Mission (center, on platform) uses Canadarm2 and the Canadian Dextre robot (left and bottom, foreground) to demonstrate satellite-servicing tasks. (Credit: NASA/CSA)
GREENBELT, MD (NASA PR) — NASA completed another successful round of Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) operations on the International Space Station with the Canadian Dextre robot and RRM tools, leaving the RRM module poised for the highly-anticipated refueling demonstration scheduled for late summer 2012.
A joint effort between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), RRM is an external station experiment designed to demonstrate the technologies, tools, and techniques needed to robotically repair and refuel satellites in orbit, especially those not built with servicing in mind. RRM results and lessons learned are reducing the risks associated with satellite servicing and bolstering the foundation for future robotic servicing missions.
WASHINGTON (DARPA PR) – Current satellites are not designed to be serviced in space. When a communication satellite in geosynchronous orbit (GEO) fails 36,000 kilometers above the earth, typically, it is moved into a “graveyard” orbit where it remains indefinitely. Many of the satellites which are obsolete or have failed still have usable antennas, solar arrays and other components which are expected to last much longer than the life of the satellite, but currently there is no way to re-use them.
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) has announced that an agreement with Intelsat to provide on-orbit servicing to the company’s communications satellites has been terminated. Intelsat had served as an anchor tenant for the Canadian company’s Space Infrastructure Servicing (SIS) initiative.
In a press release, MDA said it has not made a decision on whether to proceed with SIS, but that it was exploring options.
“MDA is continuing to pursue opportunities in this area and is currently focused on bidding a space servicing Broad Agency Announcement from a U.S. Government agency, which is due in February,” the company said in a press release. Both NASA and DARPA are looking at satellite servicing.
Installation of NASA"s Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) module aboard the International Space Station. RRM will to test technologies for the romote serviicing of satellites. (Credit: NASA)
NASA has released a request for information (RFI) on the development of on-orbit robotic servicing capabilities for spacecraft.The RFI seeks information from U.S. companies on three potential models:
Government partners with a competitively selected commercial company to develop the technology, with the commercial Partner assuming responsibility for the purchase/cost, and therefore ownership, of all flight hardware.
Government issues a competitive solicitation for on-orbit satellite servicing for Government-owned satellites and pays fixed amounts for the services.
Private companies develop this technology on their own with no access to government technical expertise; if requested and deemed appropriate, government IP would be made available on a non-exclusive basis subject to export restrictions.
The full RFI is reproduced after the break. Responses are due on Jan. 4. For more information, visit here.
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