Engineers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL’s) Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST) recently completed robotic payload component level testing for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program.
Once on-orbit, the RSGS robotic servicing vehicle will inspect and service satellites in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), where hundreds of satellites provide communications, weather monitoring, support national security missions, and other vital functions.
The RSGS program is a public-private partnership between DARPA and Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics subsidiary, with NRL developing the robotic servicing payload.