DARPA грезит пилотируемыми полетами на геостационар

NASA планирует продемонстрировать технологии орбитальной дозаправки спутников на борту МКС с помощью канадского манипулятора Dextre. Эксперимент планируется провести в ближайшие 6-12 месяцев. Dextre будет оборудован специальными инструментами-насадками для разрезания внешней обшивки спутника, подключения к топливопроводам и перекачки гидразина. Для проведения экспериментов в центре Годдарда изготавливается спутник-имитатор, сборка которого должна быть закончена в октябре. Аппарат-макет - фактически имитатор задней части спутника - будет смонтирован на платформе ELC (Express Logistics Carrier), которая будет прикреплена снаружи станции. Эксперимент будет управляться астронавтами с Земли, экипаж станции задействован не будет. Главная цель эксперимента - доказать, что нет необходимости проектирования специальных (ремонтопригодных) спутников . "Вы сможете дозаправлять существующий флот" - заявил Frank Cepollina (NASA deputy associate director in the space service capabilities office at NASA Goddard in Greenbelt), на рабочей встрече проходившей 24-26 Марта в университете Мэриленда под патронажем центра им. Годдарда.

 

Mon, 14 March, 2011
Intelsat Signs Up for Satellite Refueling Service


WASHINGTON — Satellite fleet operator Intelsat has agreed to be the inaugural customer for a novel system to refuel satellites in orbit being developed by MDA Corp. of Canada, agreeing to purchase one-half of the 2,000 kilograms of fuel that the spacecraft would carry into orbit for other satellites, industry officials said March 14.

Intelsat’s investment in the 1,000 kilograms of fuel is intended to add between two and four years of additional life to four or five otherwise healthy Intelsat satellites in geostationary orbit.

Richmond, B.C.-based MDA has been working on the technology for several years but has declined to make the needed capital investment, estimated at $300 million or more, until it had an anchor customer.

Luxembourg- and Washington-based Intelsat has now agreed to fill that role. While payments from Intelsat begin before launch, most of Intelsat’s investment would occur after confirming that its satellites have received a specific amount of propellant.

One official said that if the MDA spacecraft performs as planned, Intelsat will be paying a total of some $200 million to MDA. This assumes that four or five satellites are given around 200 kilograms each of fuel.

The mission’s goal is limited to a two- to four-year satellite life extension because of the concern that satellite electronics and solar arrays and other components degrade in any event.

Most commercial telecommunications satellites are designed to operate for 15 years in orbit. Doubling that to 30 years with a full refueling is viewed as less than optimal both for component-degradation and technology-refresh reasons.

Most telecommunications satellites are so-called bent-pipe designs that amplify signals and then beam them back to Earth —a function that gives even old satellites a value to owners. Still, satellite operators up to now have shown little appetite for radically extending the lives of their satellites.

It remained unclear who retains liability in the event the mission in orbit goes bad and the MDA vehicle damages a satellite, possibly leaving debris in geostationary orbit.

The maiden flight of the vehicle would be on an International Launch Services Proton rocket, industry officials said. One official said the MDA spacecraft, including its 2,000 kilograms of refueling propellant, is likely to weigh around 6,000 kilograms at launch.

MDA and Intelsat officials declined to comment on their contract but were expected to make an announcement on March 15.