NASA has contracted the services of Northrop Grumman subsidiary, SpaceLogistics, to prolong the life of its Landsat 7 earth-monitoring satellite. The Landsat 7, launched in 1999, provides crucial information about Earth’s land cover, ecosystem dynamics, and land use. However, the satellite is running out of fuel and is expected to cease operations in 2021.
SpaceLogistics is a startup company specializing in in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) services. They will deliver a small spacecraft, called a Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV), to mate with Landsat 7 and propel it to a higher orbit. The spacecraft will utilize electric propulsion to extend the satellite’s operational life by three years.
This will be the first time that a MEV will be used to relocate a satellite to a higher orbit for an extended period. Previously, MEVs were used to move satellites to lower orbits or to a graveyard orbit when their operational life was over.
The MEV-2, launched in August 2020, is currently on a mission to dock with a communication satellite to extend its life. The MEV-1 completed a similar mission in February 2020, docking with an old communication satellite and prolonging its operational life by five years.
NASA’s decision to utilize the services of SpaceLogistics is in line with its strategy to leverage commercial partnerships to accomplish its goals. This approach has been successful in the past, with private companies like SpaceX and Northrop Grumman delivering cargo to the International Space Station on behalf of NASA.
The Landsat 7 mission is part of the Landsat program, a joint initiative of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Landsat program has been monitoring changes to the Earth’s surface since 1972, providing invaluable data for applications such as agriculture, forestry, and water resource management. The next satellite in the program, Landsat 9, is scheduled for launch in September 2021.
The mission to extend the life of Landsat 7 is significant as it showcases the potential of in-space servicing technologies. These technologies offer a cost-effective and sustainable solution to maintain and extend the life of aging spacecraft, reducing the need for launching new satellites. This approach could revolutionize the way space missions are planned and executed, providing long-term sustainability for space exploration and research.
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