{"id":486069,"date":"2026-07-23T04:04:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T18:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=1019928"},"modified":"2026-07-23T04:04:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T18:04:15","slug":"robotic-servicing-mission-launches-with-nasa-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=486069","title":{"rendered":"Robotic Servicing Mission Launches with NASA Support"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following its liftoff from Cape Canaveral on July 21 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) hosting the NASA-supported Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload is now en route to geosynchronous Earth orbit, where it will use its advanced robotics to service spacecraft.<\/p>\n

RSGS leverages in-space robotics expertise from NASA, aligned with the agency’s broader goals to advance U.S. capabilities for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing that can be applied to space commerce and exploration.<\/p>\n

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Northrop Grumman\u2019s Mission Robotic Vehicle hosting the NASA-supported Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on July 21. The RSGS program is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and uses twin robotic arms developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.<\/div>\n
SpaceX<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the RSGS program uses twin dexterous robotic arms designed and developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. DARPA provided the robotic arm assembly for integration onto Northrop Grumman\u2019s MRV, the nation\u2019s first multi-mission robotic in-space servicer. The spacecraft will inspect and upgrade satellites in orbit by installing small propulsion modules \u2013 called mission extension pods \u2013 extending the operational life of existing spacecraft for years.<\/p>\n

RSGS brings together government agencies and industry to test advanced robotic systems in space. NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, began supporting the RSGS mission in 2024 under an interagency agreement with DARPA.<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s contributions to the mission leverage its legacy of servicing missions including the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and the Robotic Refueling Missions on the International Space Station. NASA support to RSGS program includes the development of dynamic simulation and analysis tools, software analysis for performance verification, and a team of flight robot operators who will support highly technical procedures in orbit. Hundreds of satellites are in geosynchronous orbit. Of those, fully functional satellites are often decommissioned early because they run out of fuel or their equipment becomes obsolete.  RSGS establishes a critical U.S. capability to extend the lifetime of spacecraft in orbit, allowing for more innovative and cost-effective mission designs.<\/p>\n

By Colleen Wouters
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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