When a satellite breaks down or reaches the end of its life, operators have two disposal options. They can direct it into a lower orbit, where it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, sometimes producing remains that sink in the satellite graveyard of the remote southeastern Pacific Ocean. Or they can relocate an aging satellite to a less crowded, higher orbit. New technologies may soon offer a third alternative: repairing, refueling, and even upgrading satellites already in orbit.
At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, for example, scientists and engineers are working to extend the life of a currently operational government satellite. Their project, Restore-L, will use robotic arms to manipulate a set of tools to refuel the Landsat 7 satellite in low Earth orbit. A similar project, targeted for client satellites in geosynchronous orbit, is under way at the Defense Department. And Northrop Grumman is working on a vehicle for...
