SpaceBreak—Fixing and Refueling Satellites in Space
Welcome to your gently-used SpaceBreak for March 27th, 2024.
Breaking in Space:
“Hello, we’re calling about your CubeSat’s extended warranty”
From SpaceNews and Payload: DARPA is going to be working with a company called Katalyst Space (as well as several others) to test out the viability of on-orbit servicing for satellites in 2025. According to SpaceNews, the satellite-upgrade effort is being overseen by the Defense Innovation Unit, while the actual Mission Robotics Vehicle that’d be performing the mission is being built by Northrop Grumman. Katalyst is providing sensors and a ‘retrofit attachment system” to help the vehicle attach itself to satellites that weren’t originally built to be serviced; Motiv Space is providing engineering support.
The target appears to be satellites in geosynchronous orbit (GEO), as they tend to have launch adapter rings that were originally used as an interface to the launch rocket. The new mission will be exploiting them to attach the service vehicle to the satellite, which will then attempt to install a new payload.
According to Payload, the goal for this particular mission isn’t so much servicing as adding new capabilities to old satellites; adding high-quality sensors to satellites that they already have available, as that’s cheaper than putting new ones up there. But this mission will prove the feasibility of the technology, which can then be used for other purposes, like servicing and refueling existing satellites. Either way, it’ll reduce the amount of orbital junk, an increasingly pressing issue.
Other Breaking Headlines:
NASA optimistic about resolving Voyager 1 computer problem (SpaceNews)
Artemis astronauts will carry plants to the moon in 2026 (Space.com)
The company building a rotating detonation engine is pushing the tech forward (Ars Technica)
NASA’s Europa Clipper Survives and Thrives in ‘Outer Space’ on Earth (NASA)
Tomorrow is ULA’s historic final launch for Delta IV Heavy carrying NROL-70 (Satnews)
NASA is super stoked for the 2024 total solar eclipse and hopes you are, too (Space.com)
UKspace Appoints Colin Baldwin as New Executive Director (SpaceWatch.global)
(No Chatter today.)