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Old 20-06-2020, 11:17 AM
gary
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Cool Space Truckin' - Zombie Satellites Return From the Graveyard

In a fascinating 18th June 2020 article at the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) spectrum magazine web site, Nola Taylor Redd
reports on zombie spacecraft, the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination
Committee (IADC) mandated graveyard orbits and the work of
the NASA/Grumman Mission Extension Vehicles (MEV) in resurrecting
decrepit satellites and moving others to the graveyard.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nola Taylor Redd, IEEE Spectrum, 18th June 2020
In February, MEV-1 successfully brought a zombie satellite back from the graveyard back into geostationary orbit, where it now serves over 30 customers. Launched in 2001, the satellite eventually ran out of fuel and retired to the satellite graveyard. Without fuel, it could no longer adjust its orbit, though its other systems remained functional.

The MEV-1 was designed for interfacing with single-use satellites like the zombie satellite. By docking with the satellite's liquid apogee engine, a common feature that helps most geostationary satellites finalize their orbits at the start of their lifetime, MER-1 captured the satellite and began to lower its orbit, putting the dead satellite back into play at the start of April. MEV-1 will remain connected to the Intelsat for the next five years, then return it to the graveyard. MEV-1 will then proceed to its next customer.

Article here :-
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/...-the-graveyard
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Old 28-10-2020, 10:47 PM
bgilbert (Barry gilbert)
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Mev_2

MEV_2 is currently being inserted into a GEO orbit to save a satellite that is low on fuel, it can be observed with difficulty at the moment but early next year it will be reasonably easy, and the docking will be able to be observed by amateurs.

Barry
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Old 11-01-2021, 09:06 PM
TommyJ (Tom)
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New age

New problems require new solutions. It's great that you share these things. Many companies design their space tugs and other similar vehicles to correct satellite orbits, as well as to remove them from orbit after their service life. If we look at the plans for satellite launches in the next few years, we will see several thousand new satellites that will require such "maintenance".
These gizmos are developed by many private companies, as well as ESA, NASA, etc.
For small satellites, I liked the compact space tug from Skyrora. Check it out.
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Old 14-01-2021, 04:27 PM
cannon_gray (Cannon Gray)
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This is a great technology for sure. But can someone tell me where is Graveyard? I meant, is it a place somewhere in space where the satellites are sent after they are out or is it a place somewhere in orbit?
I thought that the satellites are burnt in orbit after the missions are completed.
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