// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
On-Orbit Servicing
The act of repairing, refueling, upgrading, or moving satellites while they are still in space, extending their lifespan or improving their capabilities.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
On-Orbit Servicing (OOS) encompasses a range of in-space activities, including refueling, repairing, upgrading, inspecting, and relocating satellites, performed by dedicated servicing spacecraft to extend operational lifetimes, enhance capabilities, or mitigate orbital debris.
BACKGROUND
Outer space, or simply space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth's atmosphere and between celestial bodies. It contains ultra-low levels of particle densities, constituting a near-perfect vacuum of predominantly hydrogen and helium plasma, permeated by electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, neutrinos, magnetic fields and dust. The baseline temperature of outer space, as set by the background radiation from the Big Bang, is 2.7 kelvins.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- In-space servicing
- satellite servicing
- space robotics
- life extension
USAGE NOTE
On-orbit servicing promises to significantly reduce the cost of operating satellites and manage space debris.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to On-Orbit Servicing.
A leading aerospace and defense company, Northrop Grumman developed the Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) to provide life-orbit extension services for geostationary satellites and is developing the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) for advanced on-orbit servicing.
Maxar provides advanced space robotics, including the robotic arms for the International Space Station, and is developing technologies for in-space assembly, servicing, and manufacturing (ISAM) for various government and commercial missions.
Astroscale is a pioneer in on-orbit servicing, focusing on active debris removal, end-of-life services, and satellite life extension to ensure the sustainable use of space.
Orbit Fab is developing a 'Gas Stations in Space' infrastructure, providing in-orbit refueling services for satellites, which is a critical component of on-orbit servicing and life extension.
ClearSpace is a spin-off from EPFL and was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead the ClearSpace-1 mission, the world's first mission to remove a piece of space debris from orbit.
D-Orbit specializes in space logistics and on-orbit services, including last-mile satellite delivery, in-orbit servicing, and decommissioning solutions to help manage satellite lifecycles.
ESA actively supports and develops technologies for on-orbit servicing, including active debris removal (e.g., through the Clean Space initiative and the ClearSpace-1 mission) and in-orbit refueling and repair capabilities.
Momentus provides in-space infrastructure services, including space transportation, last-mile delivery, and in-orbit servicing capabilities, utilizing their Vigoride orbital transfer vehicles.