'Space mechanic' robot ready
2007-03-09 14:35
Cape Canaveral - A prototype
satellite repair robot that can refuel, upgrade and repair
satellites is slated to begin a three-month orbital field test
after its launch from Florida on Thursday.
The two-satellite system, called Orbital Express, was
developed by the US military in co-operation with Nasa to
extend the lives of spy satellites and lay the groundwork for
servicing and repair of government-owned spacecraft and
telescopes after the space shuttle fleet is retired.
Launch is scheduled between 21:37 and 23:42 EST from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
"What we're really trying to do with Orbital Express is to
change the paradigm of how we operate in space," said program
manager Fred Kennedy, with the Defence Advanced Research
Projects Agency, or Darpa.
With few exceptions, such as the Hubble Space Telescope,
which was designed for in-flight servicing by space shuttle
crews, spacecraft need to have everything aboard at the time
they are launched. Once a key component breaks down, or when
maneuvering fuel runs out, the satellites are dead.
Officials hope the repair robot will be able to refuel a
satellite, replace faulty components and install equipment
upgrades.
The two satellites which comprise Orbital Express are among
six experimental spacecraft being carried into orbit aboard an
unmanned Atlas 5 rocket.
The US Air Force bought the launch service from Atlas
manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp, which in December began
sales of its boosters along with Boeing Co's Delta rockets
through a Denver-based joint-venture called United Launch
Alliance.
Field tests in space
Once in space, Orbital Express will go through a week-long
systems test period ahead of demonstrations expected to last at
least three months.
The servicing craft, called Astro - an acronym for
Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations - is filled with
about 136kgs of hydrazine propellant and includes
a small robotic arm to latch onto or pass equipment to its
partner spacecraft, known as NextSat.
The first tests involve fuel transfers and will take place
while the two vehicles are attached to each other. After that,
ASTRO will sep rate from NextSat.
Among the tasks the Orbital Express will attempt during the
mission are transferring and hooking up a 24kg
battery, switching between a primary and backup computer and
testing rendezvous and capture techniques.
"We're trying out brand new technology," said Carol Welsch,
a US Air Force officer who helped put together the Orbital
Express. "Quite honestly, some of these are very challenging
technologies and they may not work."
Boeing is the prime contractor for the mission, which cost
about $300m. Partners include Ball Corp, Northrop
Grumman Corp, Draper Laboratory of Cambridge, Massachusetts
and Canada-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates.