MEV-1 / Intelsat 901
SpaceLogistics, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, developed a Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) to provide life extension services for client satellites. The MEV docks behind a client satellite and takes over maneuvering, using its own thrusters and fuel supply instead of the client’s. MEV-1 was launched into orbit on October 9, 2019, as a […]
| Object Name | Country | Operator | |
|---|---|---|---|
MEV-1
44625 | United States | Space Logistics LLC | |
INTELSAT 901
26824 | Intelsat | Intelsat S.A. |
SpaceLogistics, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, developed a Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) to provide life extension services for client satellites. The MEV docks behind a client satellite and takes over maneuvering, using its own thrusters and fuel supply instead of the client’s.
MEV-1 was launched into orbit on October 9, 2019, as a rideshare on a Russian Proton rocket along with Eutelsat’s E-5WB, a commercial communications satellite.1 After separating from the upper stage in an elliptical geostationary transfer orbit of 64,947 km by 11,980 km and 13.4° inclination, MEV-1 began slowly lowering its apogee, raising its perigee, and reducing its inclination to bring it towards the docking altitude. In early December 2019, Intelsat began preparing for the docking by raising Intelsat 901’s orbit from its mission altitude of 35,780 km in the active geostationary belt to approximately 36,250 km.
By February 7, 2020, MEV-1 had come within a few kilometers of Intelsat 901’s orbit. The remaining RPO process through to docking was slow and took place over more than two weeks, with multiple checkpoints to ensure the operation was proceeding smoothly. Northrop Grumman announced that the docking was completed on February 25 at 2:15 am ET, although the available ground-based tracking data is not accurate enough to verify that time.2 In early March, MEV-1 began lowering the orbit of the combined satellite stack back down into the active geostationary orbit, which was completed at the end of March. On April 2, Intelsat put its satellite back into service with commercial customers.
Northrop Grumman has announced that MEV-1 will remain docked to Intelsat 901 for the duration of its five-year life extension contract.3 At the end of the contract, MEV-1 will maneuver the combined stack back up to a disposal orbit, after which it will return to the geostationary belt to provide life extension services to additional customers for its remaining 10 year lifetime. MEV-2 was launched on August 15, 2020, as a rideshare on board a French Ariane rocket. It is set to dock with Intelsat IS-1002 in early 2021 to also provide life extension services for that satellite.4
- Mike Wall, “First-of-Its-Kind Satellite Servicing Spacecraft Launches on Russisan Rocket,” Space.com, October 9, 2019, https://www.space.com/mev-1-satellite-servicing-spacecraft-launch-success.html.
- “Northrop Grumman Successfully Completes Historic First Docking of Mission Extension Vehicle with Intelsat 901 Satellite,” Northrop Grumman, February 26, 2020, https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-successfully-completes-historic-first-docking-of-mission-extension-vehicle-with-intelsat-901-satellite.
- Ibid.
- Loren Grush, “Northrop Grumman just launched its second satellite rescue mission,” The Verge, August 17, 2020, https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/17/21366674/northrop-grumman-space-logistics-mev-2-satellite-servicing-life-extension.