Robotics for geostationary satellite servicing

✍ Scribed by G. Visentin; D.L. Brown

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 482 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0921-8890
• DOI: 10.1016/s0921-8890(97)00057-2

✦ Synopsis

The geostationary orbit as well as the satellite systems stationed there for telecommunication, TV broadcasting, weather forecasting, etc. have high commercial and strategic value. To safeguard the huge capital investments and the usability of the orbit itself, it will soon be indispensable to have adequate remote intervention means for the servicing and repair of satellites. Since the physical, technical and economic constraints of such a mission make servicing by astronauts impossible, robotised service vehicles will have to do the work. A robot-based Geostationary Service Vehicle similar to deep sea and nuclear servicing robots is being studied by ESA.