Japan’s UK subsidiary of its Astroscale is getting itself ready with its Critical Design Review of a ‘space tug’ which is planned to remove a OneWeb satellite from its low Earth orbit. The timeframe is 2026 and Astroscale’s UK MD Nick Shave says it is currently acquiring components for its ‘flatsat’ assembly (where the various […]
Intelsat has signed a contract with Starfish Space for a geostationary satellite space tug servicing mission which will take place in 2026. Starfish Space’s ‘Otter’ rescue satellite will attach itself to an already retired Intelsat craft to validate that the system can work. This test linkage will be followed by another rescue mission for an […]
A rescue satellite is being moved from coverage of Alaska to serve a Middle East operator. The Astranis craft had plans to beam broadband to Alaska but cut short by a solar array issue and is now on is on its way to a geostationary position over Asia for a very different mission. Astranis will […]
Avanti Communications and YahSat have issues with their orbiting satellites. There are also reports that two so-called Space Tugs are also suffering problems. The insurance industry, already reeling from problems on a Viasat satellite and a major claim on an Inmarsat craft, are expecting significant claims to be made. The problems are reportedly based on […]
The Thales Alenia Space consortium has been awarded a significant €235 million contract from Italy’s Space Agency to design and build an in-orbit satellite servicing craft, or space tug, to enter service in 2026. The object is to use the new craft to refuel an orbiting satellite. The new contract follows on from the European […]
It isn’t so very long ago that electrical propulsion for satellites was a very new kid on the block. Boeing’s Xenon-Ion Propulsion System (XIPS) was introduced on the (then) Hughes 702 versions its high-power versions of its popular HS-702 craft and used for final orbital insertion. December 1999 saw the launch of an HS-702 with […]
Intelsat has ordered a Mission Extension Pod (MEP) from Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics, which will add life to an Intelsat satellite and provide uninterrupted services to many customers. The MEP jet pack often referred to as a ‘space tug’ will be installed by SpaceLogistics’ mission robotic vehicle (MRV) on an Intelsat satellite operating in geosynchronous orbit, […]
In a contract worth several million euros, Exotrail is the in-orbit logistics operator the French major space institutions have selected to ensure capacity for satellites transferring into low Earth orbit (LEO). In 2021, the French government announced a national investment and stimulus package (France 2030), which included €1 billion to support emerging French space companies. […]
Spaceflight specialises in building so-called ‘space tugs’. These are satellites that can recover and transport orbiting craft which, for example, might be low on fuel. Spaceflight had one of its Sherpa craft launched on September 4th on a SpaceX rocket mission. The company’s fifth craft, a Sherpa-LTC (which is the first chemical-powered version) and already […]