As the population of geosynchronous orbiting satellites grows, maintenance becomes a concern—an issue that's being addressed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). NRL’s Naval Center for Space Technology, in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has developed a suite of space-flight-qualified robots to service orbiting satellites even at such high altitudes.
With DARPA funding, NRL designed the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) integrated robotic payload. Within a satellite and the vacuum of space, the payload can perform thermal testing and repairs. It was delivered to DARPA's commercial partner, Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics arm, for integration with its spacecraft bus, the Mission Robotics Vehicle (see image above).
Bruce Danly, NRL’s director of research, said, “The recent completion of thermal vacuum testing marks a major milestone toward achieving the program's goal of demonstrating robotic servicing capabilities on orbit in the near future.”
He added,“NRL's contributions to the robotic payload are an essential part of realizing this vision, which promises to transform satellite operations in geostationary orbit, reduce costs for satellite operators, and enable capabilities well beyond what we have today. In fact, the anticipated capabilities are potentially revolutionary for both national security and civil applications.”
NRL is DARPA’s robotic payload developer for the RSGS program and directed the development of robotic servicing solutions toward both commercial and government satellites in geosynchronous orbit approximately 22,000 miles above the Earth.
According to Bernie Kelm, NRL’s NCST superintendent of the spacecraft engineering division, “We’ve created advanced spaceflight hardware and software that will significantly enhance satellite servicing operations, including all robotic controls.”
