Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX, announced as Satellite Executive of the Year and Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle-1 named as Satellite Technology of the Year
SpaceLogistics
Making satellite servicing routine
Making satellite servicing routine
Northrop Grumman's SpaceLogistics' Mission Robotic Vehicle and three Mission Extension Pods successfully launched on July 21, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket.
Watch the recorded webcast of this mission here.
As a visionary of the future of space where servicing is routine, SpaceLogistics began investing in first-of-its-kind satellite life extension technologies two decades ago and was the first and is still the only company to dock with an operational satellite in geosynchronous orbit for a servicing mission. Leveraging our unique experience with Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) in geosynchronous orbit, the two Mission Extension Vehicles™ (MEVs) on orbit have provided over a decade of combined life extension for multiple clients running low on fuel. The next-generation servicers, the refuelable Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV), and three Mission Extension Pods are on track to launch in summer 2026. The MRV will be the nation's first multi-mission robotic servicer, capable of performing satellite life extension, inspection, repair, upgrades, disposal, and assembly. The only limit is the imagination.
The Future of Satellite Servicing in Space
SpaceLogistics’ Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) will be the nation’s first privately owned robotic spacecraft for real-world satellite servicing missions in geosynchronous orbit, scheduled to launch in summer 2026 with three of the company’s Mission Extension Pods (MEPs). We partnered on the mission with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, which led the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program to provide a robotic arm payload built by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.
MRV will install MEPs, jetpacks for less expensive life extension, and can relocate, inspect, repair and upgrade spacecraft while in orbit. MRV includes a Northrop Grumman-developed Passive Refueling Module (PRM), the first refueling interface standard approved by the U.S. Space Force, which enables MRV to be refueled in orbit. With advanced robotics technology and Northrop Grumman’s proven experience in satellite servicing, the mission delivers an unprecedented capability and new class of system that can continuously evolve to support novel or increasingly advanced missions for our nation, making assets in space more resilient.
In the video below, the Flight Robotic Arm System 1 (RAS-1) is executing an exercise called the Gauntlet which moves the arm through a series of poses that exercise the full motion of all seven degrees of freedom.
Our vision is to establish a fleet of commercial servicing vehicles in GEO that can address most any servicing need. Northrop Grumman continues to make deep investments in in-orbit servicing and is working closely with U.S. Government agencies to develop the next generation space logistics technologies. These technologies include robotics and high-power solar electric propulsion to enable future services building upon our keep-it-simple approach to satellite life extension. These future services are expected to include satellite:
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected SpaceLogistics as its commercial partner for the agency’s Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program. The groundbreaking mission will feature the first-ever commercial robotic servicing spacecraft and expand the market for satellite servicing of both commercial and government client satellites with advanced robotics technology. The enhanced capabilities include in-orbit repair, augmentation, assembly, detailed inspection and relocation of client satellites.
MEV is designed to dock to geostationary satellites whose fuel is nearly depleted. Once connected to its client satellite, MEV uses its own thrusters and fuel supply to extend the satellite’s lifetime. When the customer no longer desires MEV’s service, the spacecraft will undock and move on to the next client satellite.
The Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1), the industry’s first satellite life extension vehicle, completed its first docking to a client satellite, Intelsat IS-901 on February 25, 2020. MEV-1 completed its five year mission in April 2025 and docked to its next client satellite in May 2025.
The second Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-2) launched August 15, 2020 with the Northrop Grumman-built Galaxy 30 satellite. MEV-2 docked with the Intelsat IS-1002 satellite on April 12, 2021.
SpaceLogistics, a Northrop Grumman company, leads in-orbit satellite servicing with pioneering Mission Extension Vehicles and the upcoming Mission Robotic Vehicle and Extension Pods launching in summer 2026 to prolong satellite lifespans and enhance space asset resilience.
Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX, announced as Satellite Executive of the Year and Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle-1 named as Satellite Technology of the Year
Successful docking paves the way for future on-orbit and life-extension services through robotics
