PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - NASA has granted Space Systems/Loral (SSL) with a contract to create a robot that will refuel and repair satellites in orbit at Palo Alto, California. The SSL-powered robot costs $127 million and it is due to fly in 2020.
NASA Update: $127 Million SSL-Powered Robot Is Launching On 2020
According to The Register, a number of satellites in orbit are already useless due to lack of fuel. With this, NASA aims to create a robot that will refuel and repair these satellites without bringing them back on Earth. NASA has granted a contract to SSL to create a droid, dubbed Restore-L robot as part of the Restore-L Spacecraft Bus and Support Services project.
NASA reports that the contract to create the SSL-powered robot has a firm-fixed-price of $127 million. It also includes a three-year core period and a two-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity portion. The SSL-powered robot is set to launch on 2020. Along with the upcoming SSL-powered robot, NASA is also developing a universal fueling mechanism for different space platforms.
Space Systems/Loral will be in-charge of the creation of the robot. It will provide all services needed for the Restore-L mission from the spacecraft bus to the critical hardware. It includes services for the development, deployment, operations, mission integration, test, and launch.
NASA Update: Air Force X-37B Mini-shuttle To Fuel Satellites
Until the SSL-powered robot launches, satellites will have to stay in position when there is a lack of fuel. Air Force X-37B mini-shuttle may be tasked to refuel satellites for the mean time.
Restore-L mission with the SSL-powered robot would break the paradigm of one-and-done spacecraft. It will fuel new ways to manage, upgrade and prolong the lifespan of satellites launched in the orbit. It will also allow NASA to manage missions more efficiently and extract more value and results from their investment.
