New Satellite: Space Mechanic, Gas Station

by Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Assistant Managing Editor

Date: 16 November 2012 Time: 05:16 PM ET

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ViviSat's Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) will help satellite operators extend the lives of satellites in their fleet. CREDIT: ViviSat View full size image

NEW YORK — A young spaceflight company is building what it hopes will be the ultimate space handyman, a combination repair droid and orbital gas station to serve ailing satellites around Earth.

The company, called ViviSat, is planning to launch a fleet of specially built spacecraft that will be able to attach to other vehicles in Earth orbit that need a pick-me-up.

"We call them Mission Extension Vehicles," ViviSat chief operating officer Bryan McGuirk said Nov. 15 at the 2012 Satellite and Content Delivery Conference and Expo here. "Our job will be to dock with commercial satellites to extend their lives."


More - Link >>> http://www.space.com/18520-space-gas-station-vivisat-satellite.html

Source: Space.com .

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