DARPA has concluded the preliminary design review of a satellite servicing payload for its Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) programme.
According to DARPA, results of the assessment showed that the RSGS payload – coupled with a spacecraft bus that Space Systems Loral (SSL) is providing through a partnership agreement – could operate for several years at a time and repair at least 20 commercial and government spacecraft in orbit.
The US Navy‘s Naval Research Laboratory, which constructed the RSGS system, provided interface control documents and validation plans for the design review process.
Flight versions of two dexterous robotic manipulator arms, which will enable up-close inspection, repair, and installation of technical packages on the exterior of US satellites, are in production and are expected to deliver in 2019.
SSL is on track for the systems requirements review for the spacecraft bus in October of 2018. Launch of the RSGS robot servicing vehicle is targeted for 2021.
The plan is that after DARPA completes an on-orbit checkout and demonstration phase, SSL would operate the vehicle and make cooperative servicing available to both military and commercial geosynchronous orbit satellite owners on a fee-for-service basis. In exchange for providing property to SSL, the government will obtain reduced-priced servicing of its satellites and access to commercial satellite servicing data throughout the operational life of the RSGS spacecraft.
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
Defence-secure mixed reality headsets can save hours, or even weeks, of travel time to fix defunct equipment or get subject experts effectively “on-site” where they are needed.
The Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) and Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare (DRAKE) counter-UAS (CUAS) systems are mounted and dismounted RF jammers.
Adarga’s Vantage information analysis tool is in service with the UK MoD and individual UK forces. It builds on the company’s Knowledge Platform which processes, organises and analyses open source material, as well as information held by the user’s military, security and intelligence services.
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