Intelsat has ordered a Mission Extension Pod (MEP) from Northrop Grumman Corporation’s SpaceLogistics, which will extend the life of an Intelsat satellite.
The MEP “jet pack” will be installed by SpaceLogistics’ mission robotic vehicle (MRV) on an Intelsat satellite operating in geosynchronous orbit. Its likely the satellite will see its life extended by another six years from 2026.
The operator has yet to identify which satellite will be serviced.
“Intelsat is committed to safe and sustainable stewardship of space,” said Intelsat Chief Technology Officer Bruno Fromont. “Intelsat successfully led the industry four years ago with the first In-orbit servicing of satellites in cooperation with Northrop Grumman. The new MEP will also ensure the Intelsat mission of providing the most reliable service to our customers.”
“SpaceLogistics shares Intelsat’s commitment to making space sustainable, and we look forward to expanding our relationship as a provider of next-generation in-space servicing with our MRV and MEP,” added SpaceLogistics President Rob Hauge.
The purchase continues Intelsat’s recent history of space sustainability first instituted in 2020 when SpaceLogistics’ Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-1) performed the first-ever in-orbit commercial spacecraft docking with Intelsat 901 (IS-901), extending its life for another five years. In 2021, a second Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-2) began providing similar life-extension services for Intelsat 10-02.