It will require the satellite not only to have propellant access, but also data, thermal and power hooks for the new payload and have surplus control authority. I bet that OrbitalATK can be an excellent partner for this sort of system.
Quote from: baldusi on 03/02/2016 04:19 pmIt will require the satellite not only to have propellant access, but also data, thermal and power hooks for the new payload and have surplus control authority. I bet that OrbitalATK can be an excellent partner for this sort of system.This is the part that i don't get. How do you 'hook' into data and power bus of a satellite, unless you have been building birds with this in mind for decades ?The video even explicitly says 'no power, data, fluid transfer or other interfaces are required' - which i presume applies only to the docking part.
MUOS-5 could be a candidate for Orbital servicing satellite.
Specially since they are still on a GTO. That still requires a GTO circularizaton (~1,800m/s delta-v). And the GTO are usually low lived, so you can't take much time. So you'd need to have a bird ready to launch. I seriously doubt it.
Our Space Systems Group early in the second quarter announced a five-year contract with Intelsat as the first customer for this satellite servicing system. Late in the second quarter, we completed a first system design review and placed long-lead material orders for the first of these satellite servicing vehicles, which is on track for delivery and launch in the final quarter of 2018; and after a checkout period, the commencement of service in the early 2019. Schedules, cost and the technical performance are proceeding as planned on that project at present.
Related:https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/10/ils-future-missions-launch-orbital-atks-mev-1/
And finally in our space systems group about earlier this year we announced a five-year contract with Intelsat, the first customer for our in space commercial satellite servicing system. We recently completed the designed review for the first servicing vehicle and secured a launch contract for it in late 2018.If things proceed as planned, the first of an eventual fleet of up to five of these geosynchronous orbit servicing vehicles will commence operations in early 2019 followed by four more vehicles some with enhanced capabilities that will follow in 2020 and 2021.
Dulles, Virginia 29 November 2016 – Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced that it has begun a public-private partnership with NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) to establish a Commercial Infrastructure for Robotic Assembly and Services (CIRAS) in space. The CIRAS program will advance key technologies for in-orbit manufacturing and assembly of large space structures that will help the agency meet its goals for robotic and human exploration of the solar system....Phase one of CIRAS began in September 2016 and will last a total of two years. During this period, Orbital ATK will lead the team in maturing technologies necessary for robotic assembly of large space structures, such as next-generation telescopes or solar-powered structures for transport or communications. These capabilities include methods to connect or disconnect joints on a structure and address precision measuring and alignment through a 15-meter robotic arm and a precision robot. The team will also develop the technology needed to conduct in-orbit modular assembly of structures, allowing parts to be brought to space as needed via multiple launches, which simplifies the design of spacecraft and reduces cost.
With regard to the satellite servicing program, the technical work is proceeding very well. The final design review of the system is coming up next month in June. We have set up a very helpful rendezvous and docking laboratory at our Dallas, Virginia satellite campus to test out both some of the docking hardware and also the control system software that we will be using, and things remain on track for the delivery to the launch site and the launch of the first satellite servicing vehicle at the end of next year. After a multi-month-long commissioning and checkout period, it will be placed into service to extend the life of Intelsat spacecraft in the -- about this time or a little earlier than this time in the first quarter of 2019. We are contemplating starting on a second servicing vehicle later this year. We haven't finalized those plans yet. But we continue to proceed along the lines of having a small fleet of up to 5 of these servicing systems in orbit by -- over the next 4, 5 years, some of which will have advanced capabilities, robotic capabilities beyond those of the first and second satellites. Customer demand for this type of in-space servicing continues to be good, and so the outlook is favorable for that new product initiative.There's certainly customer demand now for those services beyond what can be provided by the first vehicle. So I think it's likely we'll see additional customer commitments before the end of 2017.
Finally, in space systems early last year we initiated our commercial satellite servicing program with INTELSAT in Oregon to a five year contract as our anchor customer. Late last year we completed the initial design for the first vehicle we recently finalized the design that are now well into construction of that first mission extension vehicle that Garrett referred to. If things proceed as planned it will be the first of an eventual fleet of up to five of these geosynchronous orbit servicing vehicles this first one being launched late next year and commencing operations about 18 months from now in the early part of 2019.