SES and
MDA
Announce
First
Satellite
Life
Extension
Agreement
SES
and
MDA
announced
today
an
agreement
for
an
initial
satellite
life
extension
mission
using
an
on-orbit
refuelling
vehicle
being
built
by
SSL,
a US
based
subsidiary
of
MDA
and
a
leading
provider
of
innovative
satellites
and
spacecraft
systems.
SES
will be
the
first
commercial
customer
to
benefit
from the
satellite
refuelling
service,
and will
be able
to
activate
the
service
whenever
required
with
minimal
disruption
to
spacecraft
operation.
The
agreement
also
includes
an
option
for
further
life
extension
missions.
SES
will
work
with a
new
venture,
Space
Infrastructure
Services
(SIS),
which
will
commercialise
sophisticated
satellite
servicing
capabilities.
SIS has
contracted
SSL to
design
and
build
the
highly-capable
satellite
servicing
spacecraft
vehicle
to meet
the
needs of
the US
Defense
Advanced
Research
Projects
Agency
(DARPA)’s
Robotic
Servicing
of
Geosynchronous
Satellites
(RSGS)
programme,
which is
designed
to
inspect,
repair,
relocate
and
augment
geosynchronous
satellites
and
plans to
include
a
refuelling
payload
to
extend
the life
of
satellites
that are
low on
propellant.
“Satellite
in-orbit
servicing
is of
upmost
importance
to
next-generation
architectures
for
communications
satellites.
It
enables
satellite
operators
like us
to have
more
flexibility
in
managing
our
fleet
and
meeting
our
customers’
demands,”
said
Martin
Halliwell,
Chief
Technology
Officer
at SES.
“After
witnessing
the due
diligence
of SSL’s
and
MDA’s
technical
expertise,
we are
confident
that its
new
venture
is the
best
partner
in the
refuelling
mission
field,
and will
be able
to help
SES get
more
value
out of
an
on-orbit
satellite.”
“As a
pioneer
in
next-generation
fleet
capabilities,
SES is
clearly
committed
to
improving
the
space
and
satellite
ecosystem,”
said
Howard
L.
Lance,
President
and CEO
at MDA.
“We are
very
pleased
to have
this
refuelling
contract
with SES
and are
excited
to
provide
them
with
more
options
in fleet
management.”
