Author Topic: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing  (Read 39600 times)

Offline Jim

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #20 on: 01/18/2017 06:02 pm »

OrbitalATK intend to start with a space tug then evolve it add servicing and refuelling capabilities to it. The space tug will latch onto satellite engine bell and take over all propulsion jobs. Have signed customers for 2019-2020 launch.See OA thread for more info.


That is for GEO comsats, which have different requirements than a LEO spacecraft.  GEO Comsats only point in one direction and have the same basic design.  Also, then again, they don't need a "tug" with an engine.  Just some station keeping thrusters.

Offline TrevorMonty

Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #21 on: 01/18/2017 07:01 pm »



  Also, then again, they don't need a "tug" with an engine.  Just some station keeping thrusters.

One market OA tug will address is repositioning GEO satellites. Allows satellite to conserve its fuel for station keeping.

The following is my idea may not be practical.
If tug is available to place satellite in grave yard orbit, then satellite can also use fuel reserved for disposal to extend its life.

Offline TakeOff

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #22 on: 01/19/2017 08:00 pm »
Why refuel satellites? Why not let the "Restore-L" instead tug the satellite with its own engine? It should be much easier and safer and one doesn't need to care about what fuel type the satellite originally had.

Because a "tug" isn't needed.  No "engine" is need.  The propellant is for attitude control.  Attaching another spacecraft is not that simple.  The mass properties of the stack is different.  The attached spacecraft would interfere with look angles of sensors and instruments.  It would require sending commands to two spacecraft to point and take data.
Hubble is pointed with reaction wheels and was boosted to higher altitude by the space shuttle. Wouldn't that be applicable to many satellites in LEO, but with a small tug in place of the shuttle? During satellite operations the tug could be undocked and at standby nearby until next orbital correction is needed, or go off to another servicing mission.

What about designing satellites such that its fuel tank with thrusters is replaceable? When it is getting empty, it is undocked and discarded while a tug brings a new identical fuel tank with thrusters to replace it. No need then to transfer fuel in microgravity.
« Last Edit: 01/19/2017 08:01 pm by TakeOff »

Offline Jim

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #23 on: 01/20/2017 11:07 am »

Hubble is pointed with reaction wheels and was boosted to higher altitude by the space shuttle. Wouldn't that be applicable to many satellites in LEO, but with a small tug in place of the shuttle? During satellite operations the tug could be undocked and at standby nearby until next orbital correction is needed, or go off to another servicing mission.


Hubble was an exception.  It was designed for shuttle servicing and hence had to be in a low orbit that would require reboost.   There few to no other like Hubble.  Most spacecraft are placed is orbits driven by science and the requirements and not be low enough for shuttle servicing.  Hubble should have resided at L2 like JWST and SIRTF for scienc[quote



What about designing satellites such that its fuel tank with thrusters is replaceable? When it is getting empty, it is undocked and discarded while a tug brings a new identical fuel tank with thrusters to replace it. No need then to transfer fuel in microgravity.

That doesn't place the thrusters in the locations.  Also, the propellant is not near the CG


Offline TrevorMonty

Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #24 on: 01/20/2017 02:08 pm »
Talking of JWST, guy from Restore L fiso webcast is trying to convince JWST team to paint a pattern on JWST which makes capturing it easier. JWST is not serviceable but that doesn't stop a tug attaching its self and taking over propulsion. Could even bring it back to cis lunar station for investigation if not repair.

Offline jongoff

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #25 on: 01/21/2017 01:52 am »
Talking of JWST, guy from Restore L fiso webcast is trying to convince JWST team to paint a pattern on JWST which makes capturing it easier. JWST is not serviceable but that doesn't stop a tug attaching its self and taking over propulsion. Could even bring it back to cis lunar station for investigation if not repair.

It's called an optical fiducial. Basically it's a very precise shape/pattern that a machine vision system can use to tell what your relative pose (angles) and position to the object are, just by looking at it. Super useful for rendezvous and capture operations, and the stickers to do so weigh only a few grams each if done right.

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Offline Robotbeat

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #26 on: 01/21/2017 05:28 pm »
It is, however, optional. It just makes machine vision easier. But could be done without it.
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Offline TrevorMonty

Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #27 on: 01/21/2017 05:46 pm »
Repair of satellites by crews at DSH could be reality. It would require likes of OA tug to haul them from GEO to DSH. Probably not financially viable for comsats but $B government satellite is different story.

Offline Lar

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #28 on: 01/22/2017 03:38 am »
It is, however, optional. It just makes machine vision easier. But could be done without it.
Worth a few grams though, I think...?
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Offline Comga

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #29 on: 01/22/2017 04:01 am »
(Snip)
Hubble should have resided at L2 like JWST and SIRTF for science
(snip)

SIRTF/Spitzer is not at L2 ;D
And don't "should" all over Hubble. It is what it is for good, and not so good, reasons.
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Targeteer

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #30 on: 08/08/2017 03:10 pm »
https://sslmda.com/html/pressreleases/pr20170808.php

https://sspd.gsfc.nasa.gov/video/RestoreConOpsTechTakeoverRevA.m4v

SSL AND NASA SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW FOR TRAILBLAZING RESTORE-L ON-ORBIT ROBOTIC SERVICING SPACECRAFT
Program Will Extend the Life of Space Assets and Benefits Science, Exploration, and National Security Missions

PALO ALTO, Calif. – August 8, 2017 — Space Systems Loral (SSL), a leading provider of innovative satellites and spacecraft systems, today announced that it successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for NASA’s Restore-L mission to provide satellite servicing in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).  With the completion of the PDR, Restore-L is proceeding on schedule to the next phase of development and its launch in 2020.

As announced last year, SSL is working with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Satellite Servicing Projects Division (SSPD), to build a spacecraft that will change the nature of how infrastructure in space is managed by, for the first time in history, refueling a satellite in orbit that was not designed for servicing.  Restore-L will use robotics and an advanced suite of technologies to grasp and refuel an existing U.S. government satellite already in LEO with the goal of extending the operational lifetime of space assets, as well as to demonstrate the tools, technologies, and techniques that will help enable future space exploration missions and a new U.S. satellite servicing industry.

The design review took place over a three-day period at SSL’s facilities and demonstrated that the Restore-L design meets system requirements.  Due to the success of the PDR, Restore-L will now proceed to the detailed design phase.

The SSL-built spacecraft will provide the structural support, propulsion, attitude control, data and communications interface, and power to support the Restore-L robotic payload for the trailblazing on-orbit demonstration.

“Satellite servicing in Low Earth Orbit is of great value for NASA exploration and science architectures as well as national security,” said Richard White, president of SSL Government Systems.  “With the PDR successfully completed, we are on track to developing a capability that helps maintain our country’s international position as a leader in advanced space technology.  In addition to enabling high value assets to continue to be used, Restore-L will test crosscutting technologies that have applications for other important NASA missions.”

NASA is also leveraging SSL’s commercial capabilities and experience to help reduce cost on a variety of next-generation missions that enable groundbreaking robotics and automation technologies.  These include a NASA Discovery Mission to explore the asteroid Psyche, and the Dragonfly program, which will demonstrate robotic  satellite assembly on-orbit.
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Offline gongora

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #31 on: 08/09/2017 03:21 am »
[SpacePolicyOnline.com] RESTORE-L Passes PDR As Future Remains Cloudy
Quote
NASA’s satellite servicing technology development and demonstration mission, Restore-L, passed a milestone today, successfully clearing Preliminary Design Review (PDR).  The Trump Administration wants to downscale the program significantly however, and while the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have rallied to its defense, only one approved the money needed to keep it on course.
...

Offline gongora

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #32 on: 04/24/2020 02:34 am »
04.23.2020
OSAM-1 (Formerly Restore-L) Continues to Make Progress, Fuel Tank Installed
By: Maxar Technologies

Even spacecraft designed to refuel other spacecraft need their own fuel tank. This crucial piece of hardware was installed last week on the On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (OSAM-1) spacecraft, formerly called Restore-L, that Maxar is building for NASA.

OSAM-1 will – for the first time in history – refuel a satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO) not designed to be serviced. In doing so, the program will validate many of the essential tools, techniques and technologies to enable future science and space exploration missions, bolster national security and spur the development of innovative commercial platforms and businesses.

OSAM-1’s design is based on Maxar’s decades-proven 1300-class spacecraft platform, which offers a powerful mix of reliability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness for the mission. Maxar is also leveraging the 1300-class spacecraft platform for the Power and Propulsion Element of NASA’s Artemis program, and the Psyche metallic asteroid exploration mission. NASA’s TEMPO science payload is also being flown as a hosted payload on a 1300-based GEO mission. As the world’s most popular commercial spacecraft platform, there are more than 92 1300-class spacecraft on orbit today.

Maxar is also building three robotic arms for the OSAM-1 mission, two of which will be used for the refueling mission. The other robotic arm, part of the SPIDER demonstration, will be used to demonstrate groundbreaking and fundamental technologies for sustainable space exploration, including the in-space assembly of large-scale segmented antenna reflectors and manufacturing of a composite beam while on-orbit. Maxar has teamed with the West Virginia Robotic Technology Center to provide independent verification of SPIDER’s capabilities through multiple performance studies.

Now that OSAM-1’s fuel tank has been integrated, Maxar’s team in Palo Alto will move on to completing the propulsion module and continuing the bus integration and test with an anticipated delivery to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, next year. For more information on OSAM-1, visit explorespace.maxar.com/moon/restore-l/.

Pictures
1. Maxar technicians prepare to install OSAM-1’s fuel tank (egg-shaped object) by lifting it up with a crane.
2. The fuel tank is carefully installed inside OSAM-1’s main spacecraft structure.

Offline Yiosie

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #33 on: 10/12/2021 01:14 am »
Belated update from May 2021:

NASA’s On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 Mission Ready for Spacecraft Build [dated May 5]

Quote
NASA is one step closer to robotically refueling a satellite and demonstrating in-space assembly and manufacturing thanks to the completion of an important milestone.

In April 2021, NASA and Maxar Technologies successfully completed the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) mission spacecraft accommodation Critical Design Review (CDR). This milestone demonstrates that the maturity of the design for the OSAM-1 spacecraft bus is appropriate to support proceeding with fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing.

OSAM-1 will, for the first time ever, robotically refuel a U.S. government satellite not designed to be serviced. The spacecraft will consist of a servicing payload, provided by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with two robotic arms that will be attached to the spacecraft bus. The bus will also incorporate a payload called Space Infrastructure Dexterous Robot (SPIDER) that will demonstrate in-space assembly and manufacturing. SPIDER will use a third robotic arm to assemble a communications antenna and an element called MakerSat built by Tethers Unlimited to manufacture a beam. The spacecraft bus and SPIDER are being built by Maxar Technologies.

This image, taken by Maxar in their Palo Alto, California, facility, features the OSAM-1 spacecraft bus under development. The 14-foot-tall bus will provide OSAM-1 with power and the ability to maneuver in orbit. To make these maneuvers possible, inside the main cylinder are two large bi-propellant tanks, and the upper and lower deck of the spacecraft feature thrusters. The two silver spheres are filled with mono-propellant fuel that will be used to provide OSAM-1’s target client satellite, Landsat 7, with more fuel to demonstrate that robotically refueling a satellite is possible.

Upon completion of the OSAM-1 spacecraft bus and related testing at Maxar’s facilities in mid-2022, it will be sent to Goddard. NASA will complete the integration and testing of the OSAM-1 components, including the spacecraft bus, servicing payload, and SPIDER, in preparation for launch.

OSAM-1 is funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate through its Technology Demonstration Missions program.

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #34 on: 03/06/2023 02:36 pm »
https://twitter.com/nasasatservices/status/1632756238717972486

Quote
Recently, the @NASA’s On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) project management team visited @Maxar in California to view progress on the OSAM-1 spacecraft bus. Later this year, the spacecraft will journey to @NASAGoddard for final integration and testing.

Offline Yiosie

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #35 on: 12/03/2023 01:37 am »
Spacecraft Bus for Satellite Servicing Mission Arrives at NASA Goddard [dated Sept. 22]

Quote from: NASA
On Sept. 20, 2023, the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) spacecraft bus arrived at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, after its journey from a Maxar facility in California. Following this critical milestone, engineers at Goddard can begin to integrate the mission’s servicing payload onto the bus and begin to test the integrated spacecraft in simulated space environments.

When integration and testing are complete, OSAM-1 will be ready to demonstrate robotic satellite servicing technologies in space. The OSAM-1 mission is planned to be the first to robotically refuel a spacecraft not designed for on-orbit servicing. The servicer will rendezvous with, grapple, and berth the government-owned Landsat 7 spacecraft, and then use a suite of tools to replenish its hydrazine fuel tank.

In addition to the mission’s servicing objectives, OSAM-1 will also include an assembly demonstration provided by commercial partner Maxar, the same company that provided the spacecraft bus. That demonstration will use a robotic arm from the Space Infrastructure Dexterous Robot (SPIDER) payload to assemble a functional Ka-band antenna on orbit from stowed hexagonal pieces.

Previously, the mission included a manufacturing demonstration called MakerSat, which planned to use the SPIDER arm to manufacture a beam. However, that component of the mission has been descoped as mission managers refocus resources on the servicing and assembly components of the mission.

Offline mmonty

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #37 on: 03/01/2024 03:44 pm »
mission has been cancelled.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/on-orbit-servicing-assembly-and-manufacturing-1/

Relevant paragraph:

Quote
Following an in-depth, independent project review, NASA has decided to discontinue the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) project due to continued technical, cost, and schedule challenges, and a broader community evolution away from refueling unprepared spacecraft, which has led to a lack of a committed partner. Following Congressional notification processes, project management plans to complete an orderly shutdown, including the disposition of sensitive hardware, pursuing potential partnerships or alternative hardware uses, and licensing of applicable technological developments. NASA leadership also is reviewing how to mitigate the impact of the cancellation on the workforce at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
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Offline catdlr

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #38 on: 03/01/2024 07:58 pm »
More of the same news:

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1763637524826599487

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1763664084245921952

Quote
NASA is shutting down the OSAM-1 (On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1) project, for which Maxar was a prime contractor.

Quote
OSAM-1 was years behind schedule and expected to cost over $2 billion:

NASA's Inspector General published a detailed report on the OSAM-1 project in October 2023, going into detail about "Maxar’s poor performance:"

Atricle:  https://oig.nasa.gov/docs/IG-24-002.pdf

Quote
Maxar was "no longer profiting from their work on OSAM-1" and the project no longer appeared "to be a high priority for Maxar in terms of the quality of its staffing."

Article:  https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/01/nasa-shuts-down-maxar-led-osam-1-satellite-refueling-project.html
« Last Edit: 03/01/2024 08:00 pm by russianhalo117 »
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Offline gongora

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Re: CANCELLED: NASA OSAM-1 (Restore-L) LEO servicing
« Reply #39 on: 03/01/2024 08:25 pm »
Good decision, that program was a mess.  No reason to put all of that stuff on a single satellite.

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