Thursday, April 05, 2018

Orbital ATK wants to have a complete fleet of satellite maintenance vehicles

The manufacturer is currently developing EMV1 and EMV2, which were contracted by Intelsat to make improvements in orbit to the Intelsat 9 series and other devices. The next step is to add robotic tools to add precision to tasks in space, ranging from refueling to component replacement.

The satellite sector explores options to make the fleets in orbit profitable and save on manufacturing and launching, either with landings in the LEO segment or reuse components of launch vehicles. A third variant that operators begin to evaluate is to maintain their satellites in orbit (in-orbit servicing) to extend their useful life after fifteen years, with three objectives: to increase the value of investments; explore new geographical markets with the transfer to new orbital positions; and in the future, enable more advanced capabilities with infrastructure already deployed.

Read full article

MORE ANALYSIS

Globales · Satellites14/07/2025

Geopolitics enters the fray over mega-constellations in low Earth orbit

Both the European Union and China have initiatives to occupy space with LEO fleets and constellations. Within Europe, national governments are promoting public-private partnerships with state involvement.

Venezuela · Satellites · Software and Applications26/06/2025

Maduro's government installs Russian Glonass system and moves away from Western technology

It is currently in a testing phase at an air base. It competes with the ubiquitous GPS, which Caracas dismissed due to its strained relations with the United States. It operates in the L1, L2, and L3 bands and recently incorporated signals in CDMA.

Globales · Satellites19/06/2025

BRICS raise alarms about long-term space sustainability

The recent meeting held in Brazil highlighted the looming challenges posed by the proliferation of low-Earth orbit satellite constellations, the intensive use of the spectrum, and the growing issue of space debris.

Argentina · Satellites26/05/2025

New SG-1 findings prompt a US$63 million funding increase

According to a report from the Cabinet Office, CAF has already disbursed US$160 million for the satellite, and the total cost will amount to US$325 million. The contracts already signed involve expenses of US$223 million.

Globales · Satellites13/05/2025

Seeking an international agreement for space sustainability

In addition to the 11,300 satellites in orbit monitored by the ITU, there are over 100 million objects — ranging from satellite fragments to entire defunct devices. There is no global regulatory framework to govern this issue, and it will be several years before one emerges.

List all analysis

A DIARIO LATINO 17-07-2025

Argentina · Regulation · Politics 15/07/2025

ENACOM enters new intervention phase: 18 months of instability

Globales · Satellites 14/07/2025

FCC approved SES's acquisition of Intelsat

Globales · Equipment Providers and Network Solutions 14/07/2025

Nokia brings three network APIs to Google Cloud Marketplace

List all news