Northrop Grumman is taking the next step in its space-servicing business, SpaceLogistics, with the sale of its first Mission Extension Pod and a launch agreement with SpaceX for a Mission Robotic Vehicle. Optus, Australia's largest satellite owner and operator, has an agreement with Northrop's SpaceLogistics for the installation of one Mission Extension Pod (MEP) on a D3, K_u-band communications satellite in 2025. These two milestones come on the heels of the company's successful launch and operation of two Mission Extension Vehicles (MEV). The MEV is a 2,500-kg (5,512-lb.) spacecraft that docks to a satellite to control its orbit and attitude. MEV-1 docked with Intelsat 901 in February 2020, adjusted the satellite's inclination by 1.6 deg and relocated it in geostationary orbit. On April 2, Intelsat then transitioned about 30 of its commercial and government customers to IS-901. A year later, in April 2021, Northrop repeated the feat when MEV-2 successfully docked with the Intelsat 10-02 satellite at 1 deg. W. Long, that was running out of fuel. The docking was to enable the satellite to remain in service for up to five more years.
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