Future for On-Orbit Servicing Continues to Be Unclear, Say Satellite Executives
Important questions remain on the viability of on-orbit servicing technologies aimed at extending the life of satellites, Arianespace President Clay Mowry said at the Washington Space Business Roundtable. The idea has floated around the industry for years, he said Tuesday. While the ideas have gained prominence in recent months, with MDA and ViviSat touting coming technologies, much is untested and its affect on the launch industry remains unclear, he said. “We need to see the concept proven out."
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"You've got to go back and look at what’s that cost going to be,” for the different business plans, Mowry said. There are big questions on how much fuel can be transported and the effects on insurance, especially if there’s a fuel transfer going on from an on-orbit service vehicle to a satellite, he said. Still, the idea is exciting the industry and maybe the technology is ready, he said.
MDA and ViviSat have different plans for in-orbit servicing. ViviSat would launch a Mission Extension Vehicle, designed for 15 years of orbit, that would attach to a satellite, providing new propulsion. MDA is working on a more robotics-based approach. The MDA vehicle would be launched with a robotic arm and tool caddy, available to do a number of tasks and minor repairs. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has shown its own interest in being involved, though its role isn’t clear (CD Oct 13 p10).
ViviSat says it has made some real strides toward operating at full strength. “ViviSat has accomplished some major milestones in the last few months,” a spokeswoman said in a written statement. “We are well along in the design phase. We also now have firm fixed price offerings that we have communicated to potential customers and which are being well received by the market. We are in serious discussions with several satellite operators around the world. ViviSat is currently testing its rendezvous and proximity operations at a new ATK lab in Beltsville, MD.” ViviSat is a joint venture between ATK and U.S. Space. MDA didn’t comment.
Intelsat has been at the forefront of trying to push the technology forward, because the extension of satellite-life would increase a satellite’s ability to generate revenue, said Rich DalBello, vice president-legal affairs for Intelsat General, a subsidiary of Intelsat. Earlier this year Intelsat announced an agreement with MDA for its in-orbit services, though DalBello said the details of that deal are still being worked out. The company hopes to see continued excitement for the technologies, though it’s not surprising to see some skepticism from other segments of the satellite market, he said. “Just like any paradigm shift, someone has got to come at this that has a different set of interests.” It seems clear that on-orbit servicing is going to happen, though it still is unclear exactly when, said DalBello.
The technology seems about ripe for use, which could end up hurting the overall launch market, said a spokeswoman for International Launch Services. “The technology seems to be there, it just needs to be successfully implemented,” she said by email. “I am not sure how this could be a boon for launch service providers, as it could be for operators. In reality, if on-orbit servicing becomes successful there may be less satellites to launch in the long run due to the expected increased service lifetime of the satellites in orbit benefiting from this technology.”