Northrop Grumman and Intelsat Make History with Docking of Second Mission Extension Vehicle to Extend Life of Satellite
April 12 2021 - 3:52PM
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and the company’s
wholly-owned subsidiary, SpaceLogistics LLC, have successfully
completed the docking of the Mission Extension Vehicle-2 (MEV-2) to
the Intelsat 10-02 (IS-10-02) commercial communications satellite
to deliver life-extension services. The docking was completed at
1:34 p.m. EST.
Northrop Grumman is the only provider of flight-proven life
extension services for satellites, and this is the second time the
company has docked two commercial spacecraft in orbit. The
company’s MEV-1 made history when it successfully docked to the
Intelsat 901 (IS-901) satellite in February 2020. Unlike MEV-1,
which docked above the GEO orbit before moving IS-901 back into
service, MEV-2 docked with IS-10-02 directly in its operational GEO
orbital location.
“Today’s successful docking of our second Mission Extension
Vehicle further demonstrates the reliability, safety and utility of
in-space logistics,” said Tom Wilson, vice president, strategic
space systems, Northrop Grumman and president, SpaceLogistics LLC.
“The success of this mission paves the way for our second
generation of servicing satellites and robotics, offering
flexibility and resiliency for both commercial and government
satellite operators, which can enable entirely new classes of
missions.”
Under the terms of Intelsat’s satellite life-extension servicing
contract, MEV-2 will provide five years of service to IS-10-02
before undocking and moving on to provide services for a new
mission.
“Intelsat has pioneered innovations in space-based technology
for more than five decades. We are proud to work side by side with
Northrop Grumman on today’s groundbreaking mission, the first-ever
docking of a communications satellite in GEO orbit,” said Intelsat
Chief Services Officer Mike DeMarco. “Space servicing is a valuable
tool for Intelsat in extending the high-quality service experience
that our customers depend upon. Northrop Grumman’s MEV technology
has helped us extend the life of two otherwise healthy and
high-performing satellites, while focusing our innovation capital
on advancing the Intelsat next-generation network – this technology
is a ‘win-win’ for us.”
The Mission Extension Vehicle is the first in Northrop Grumman’s
lineup of satellite servicing vehicles, but following last year’s
robotic servicing mission award from DARPA, the company is working
with the agency on a mission that will feature the first-ever
commercial robotic servicing spacecraft. This mission will expand
the market for satellite servicing of both commercial and
government client satellites with advanced robotics using the
company’s Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) to conduct in-orbit repair,
augmentation, assembly, detailed inspection and relocation of
client satellites through robotics.
To further complement its on-orbit servicing
portfolio, Northrop Grumman is leveraging model based systems
engineering to develop its Mission Extension Pods (MEPs) which
will also provide critical life extension services to aging
satellites. The MRV will be used to install these pods on existing
in-orbit commercial and government client satellites to extend
their mission lives. The company is targeting 2024 for launch of
both the MRV and the initial MEPs.
B-roll and animation footage for the mission can be
found here. Photos for the mission can be found here.
About Intelsat
As the foundational architects of satellite technology, Intelsat
operates the world’s largest and most advanced satellite fleet and
connectivity infrastructure. We apply our unparalleled expertise
and global scale to connect people, businesses, and communities, no
matter how difficult the challenge. Intelsat is uniquely positioned
to help our customers turn possibilities into reality –
transformation happens when businesses, governments, and
communities use Intelsat’s next-generation global network and
managed services to build their connected future.
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space,
aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs
of our customers worldwide. Our 97,000 employees define possible
every day using science, technology and engineering to create and
deliver advanced systems, products and services.
Contact: |
Kristen Basham |
|
703-404-7476 (office) |
|
240-623-6778 (mobile) |
|
kristen.basham@ngc.com |
|
|
|
Melissa Longo |
|
240-308-1881 |
|
melissa.longo@intelsat.com |
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d62e8d2-c03d-4084-8083-d90930543de3
Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024