Goto

Collaborating Authors

 satellite longevity


DARPA thinks it has the solution to satellite longevity

AITopics Original Links

The government's mad science wing has an eye on lowering the cost and extending the lifespan of the geosynchronous Earth orbit satellites that follow our planet during its rotation. DARPA has proposed a system dubbed Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS if you're a fan of brevity) that'd essentially act as a lifeline for the satellites up above us. The program is still in its infancy but would "radically lower the risk and cost of operating in GEO," according to the firm. The RSGS units sound like they'd cure a lot of issues plaguing current satellites. DARPA says that correcting "mission-ending mechanical anomalies" that include problems with how their solar arrays and antennas deploy are among those fixes.