Northrop's servicing robot extends the life of an orbiting satellite by five years

Intelsat's IS-10-02 communications satellite was running low on fuel -- it's been in orbit since 2004, after all, and has already exceeded its original mission lifespan by five years. Thanks to Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle-2 (MEV-2), however, it gained another five years of life and will stay operational instead of being decommissioned. MEV-2 launched in August and has been making its way to the satellite in geosynchronous orbit since then. On Monday, it caught up to its target and clamped onto it to provide the IS-10-02 with more fuel. According to TechCrunch, a representative described the robotic spacecraft as a "jetpack for the 10-02 satellite."