
Standardized grasping and refuelling on-orbit servicing for geo spacecraft [pdf] - Gravityloss
https://nereus.mech.ntua.gr/Documents/pdf_ps/AA17.pdf
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gibsjose
My group's mission at NASA is highly related:
[https://sspd.gsfc.nasa.gov/restore-l.html](https://sspd.gsfc.nasa.gov/restore-l.html)

We're going for LEO reservicing. It's quite a challenging mission, especially
since our client was never meant to be reserviced let alone rendezvoused with
in the first place.

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skissane
Interesting project. A lot of the NASA publications keep the identity of the
client very vague ("A satellite in LEO owned by the U.S. government" as one
brochure puts it), which makes me suspect that it must be something "hush-
hush" like NRO. Then I find a press release saying the client is Landsat 7 –
[https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-restore-l-mission-to-
ref...](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-restore-l-mission-to-refuel-
landsat-7-demonstrate-crosscutting-technologies) – which doesn't sound that
"hush-hush" at all.

~~~
gibsjose
There was a time when we weren't exactly sure which client we were going to
refuel, but as far as we know, it will be Landsat-7. I believe NRL and
possibly others are working on reservicing more "hush-hush" clients, but I
can't say for certain for that very reason haha.

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Animats
This could have been done long ago, but it didn't pay. The first orbital
docking was over 50 years ago. The booster cost to get to geosync orbit was so
high that refueling missions weren't worth it.

This would be a good use of used Space-X boosters. If it succeeds, great, and
if it fails, you've only lost a used booster and the refueling rig. It costs a
second stage every time, though; you don't get that back.

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Gravityloss
More at
[http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=42501.msg29...](http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=42501.msg291469#new)

~~~
gus_massa
Just for context:

Is this research group an official European Space Agency (ESA) group? How
probable is that they will launch a test mission with this system? How
probable is that the European missions will adopt this (or a minor variant)?
ISS? NASA? Russia? China? Other?

