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Space Robotics

Mission Extension Vehicle 2

Program pages Northrop Grumman: Mission Extension Vehicle

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

MEV-2 is the second Mission Extension Vehicle. It is built to the same design as MEV-1, which carries the docking system, rendezvous sensor suite and client environment description for both vehicles, and it differs only in the flight it was assigned. Where MEV-1 docked to a retired satellite parked in the graveyard orbit above the geostationary belt, MEV-2 docked to a client still carrying revenue traffic, in its active slot, which removed the option of clearing the airspace around the operation before attempting it [1], [2].

Mission profile

Section titled “Mission profile”
ParameterValueSource
Launch15 August 2020, rideshare with Galaxy 30[3]
ClientIntelsat IS-10-02[1], [2]
Docked12 April 2021, in an active GEO slot[1], [2]
Function assumedstation-keeping and pointing; client propulsion and attitude control disabled[1]
Servicefive years of extended life[3]

The retrieved literature records the vehicle as operating with its original client as of 2022 [4] and gives its launch as 2020 [1]; the program page gives the 15 August 2020 rideshare date [3].

References

  1. Pyrak, M. and Anderson, J. (2021). Performance of Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) RPO Imagers at GEO. Source
    BibTeX
    @inproceedings{pyrak2021performance,
  title = {Performance of Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) RPO Imagers at GEO},
  author = {Pyrak, Michael and Anderson, Joe},
  year = {2021},
  booktitle = {Autonomous Systems: Sensors, Processing and Security for Ground, Air, Sea and Space Vehicles and Infrastructure 2022},
  doi = {10.1117/12.2631524},
  pages = {28}
}
  2. Pyrak, M. and Duden, Q. (2022). Use of a Commercial GEO Servicing Vehicle for Space Domain Awareness Data Collection. Source
    BibTeX
    @inproceedings{pyrak2022use,
  title = {Use of a Commercial GEO Servicing Vehicle for Space Domain Awareness Data Collection},
  author = {Pyrak, Matt and Duden, Quenten},
  year = {2022},
  booktitle = {Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference},
  url = {https://amostech.com/TechnicalPapers/2022/Poster/Pyrak.pdf}
}
  3. (2026). Northrop Grumman: Mission Extension Vehicle. northropgrumman.com/space/space-logistics-services (accessed 2026-09-02) archived copy
    BibTeX
    @misc{northropgrummanmission,
  title = {Northrop Grumman: Mission Extension Vehicle},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.northropgrumman.com/space/space-logistics-services}},
  organization = {northropgrumman.com},
  year = {2026},
  urldate = {2026-09-02}
}
  4. Arney, D., Mulvaney, J., Williams, C., Sutherland, R. and Stockdale, C. (2022). In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) State of Play, 2022 Edition. NASA, 20220010995. Source
    BibTeX
    @techreport{nasa2022space,
  title = {In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) State of Play, 2022 Edition},
  author = {Arney, Dale and Mulvaney, John and Williams, Christina and Sutherland, Richard and Stockdale, Christopher},
  year = {2022},
  institution = {NASA},
  number = {20220010995},
  url = {https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20220010995}
}

Further reading

  • NASA. (2020). Cross-Program Design Specification for Natural Environments (DSNE), Revision G. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Source
  • Lear, D. M., Hoffman, K. D., Hyde, J. L. and Collins, C. M. (2019). Bumper: A Tool for Analyzing Spacecraft Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris Risk. NASA. Source
  • O'Neill, P. M., Golge, S. and Slaba, T. C. (2014). Implementing the Badhwar-O'Neill Galactic Cosmic Ray Model for Spacecraft Analysis. NASA. Source