Northrop Grumman launches a private satellite-servicing mission intended to extend the operational life of communications satellites that are running low on fuel while in geosynchronous orbit. The mission uses a robotic servicing vehicle, known as MRV, launched by SpaceX. After liftoff, the spacecraft and three dedicated life-extending “jetpacks” travel to geosynchronous orbit, about 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) above Earth, where satellites maintain continuous coverage for a fixed region.
Sources describe the MRV as a minivan-sized vehicle with robotic arms. Over roughly the next year, it maneuvers into position and, by mid-2027, attaches one jetpack at a time to an aging communications satellite. After it installs the first unit, the mission is planned to move on to additional satellites in need of fuel replenishment.
For the jetpacks, each uses its own xenon-gas thrusters to provide the propulsion needed for additional years of operation. The effort is framed as a cost-saving alternative to replacing satellites, with reported beneficiaries including SES of Luxembourg and Optus of Australia.
