On Monday, April 12, the Mission Extension Vehicle-2 (MEV-2) maintenance spacecraft successfully docked with the commercial communications satellite Intelsat 10-02 (IS-10-02) at 36,000 km above Earth. The mission aims to extend its operational life significantly.
After years of service, most satellites are retired to "graveyard orbits" about 300 kilometers above geosynchronous orbit, roughly 36,000 km above the equator. Launched in 2001, Intelsat 901 was set to join them due to depleting fuel reserves—until this innovative intervention granted it extra years of service.
Intelsat partnered with Northrop Grumman to develop these "guide dog" satellites. MEV-1, launched in October 2019 from Kazakhstan, docked with Intelsat 901 to extend its mission by five years. This marked a groundbreaking private-sector satellite servicing operation.
Building on that success, Northrop Grumman and its subsidiary SpaceLogistics LLC developed MEV-2, launched on August 15, 2020, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. On April 12, MEV-2 successfully docked with the Intelsat 10-02 commercial communications satellite (IS-10-02).
The image below captures IS-10-02 from MEV-2's approach, with Earth's curve visible in the background. MEV-2's wide-field infrared camera recorded the satellite from about 15 meters away.
"This is the first time humans have seen this satellite since its launch in June 2004," said Joe Anderson, Director of Mission Extension Vehicle Services at Northrop Grumman.
"With MEV-1 docking last February, we made history and created a whole new marketplace in orbit," said Tom Wilson, vice president of strategic space systems. "We are now the only life extension service provider for satellites, operating not just one, but two mission extension vehicles. With these capabilities, we can enable entirely new classes of missions."
Both MEV-1 and MEV-2 boast a lifespan of about 15 years, positioning them to service multiple aging satellites after completing their current assignments.
