Falcon 9 to launch MRV-1 robotic servicing spacecraft for Northrop Grumman

Date:
Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:30:58 +0000

Description:
SpaceXs Falcon 9 is set to launch the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV-1) mission from Florida The post Falcon 9 to launch MRV-1 robotic servicing spacecraft for Northrop Grumman appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

FULL STORY ======================================================================

SpaceXs Falcon 9 is set to launch the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV-1) mission from Florida on Tuesday evening. The MRV-1 vehicle, developed by Northrop Grumman, is a robotic servicing spacecraft capable of extending the life of satellites by attaching Mission Extension Pods (MEPs).



Falcon 9 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on July 21, at the opening of a four-hour launch window at 5:15 PM EDT (21:15 UTC). A backup launch opportunity is available the following day at the same time. Following
launch, Falcon 9 will follow an easterly trajectory to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).

Falcon booster B1069, flying on its 32nd flight, will be expended due to the high performance required to lift MRV-1 to GTO. The booster has previously supported 27 Starlink missions, alongside the CRS-24, Hotbird 13F, OneWeb
#15, and SES-18 & SES-19 missions.



Falcon 9, a two-stage partially reusable vehicle, will be on its 669th
mission overall and 86th of 2026. The first stage is powered by nine Merlin
1D sea-level engines, fueled by kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The second stage uses a single Merlin 1D vacuum-optimized engine and utilizes the same RP-1 and LOX propellants.

Northrop Grummans MRV-1

MRV-1 will be operated by SpaceLogistics, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman. SpaceLogistics the only company providing on-orbit servicing to
geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites is deploying four payloads on
this mission. The main MRV-1 spacecraft, weighing 3,000 kg, is an on-orbit satellite service vehicle that can extend the life of up to thirty 2,000 kg satellites using Mission Extension Pods (MEPs).

SpaceLogistics previously launched two demonstration Mission Extension Vehicles (MEVs) that docked with two aging satellites in 2020 and 2021.
MEV-1, launched aboard a Proton-M in 2019, docked with Intelsat 901 in 2020 and moved it back to the geosynchronous arc. In 2025, MEV-1 transferred the satellite to its final graveyard orbit. Unlike MEV-1, MEV-2 docked with an active Intelsat 10-02 in its operational orbit and provided power and fuel to extend its lifespan for five years. T-minus eight days until the launch
window begins for our Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites payload.

Two highly nimble robotic arms made by the @USNRL will travel to geosynchronous orbit via the @northropgrumman Mission Robotic Vehicle.

Northrop Grumman pic.twitter.com/zChhC9v04Q

DARPA (@DARPA) July 14, 2026



MRV-1 will be Americas first multi-mission robotic service vehicle capable of performing crucial life extension, inspection, repairs, and disposal for both commercial and military satellites. The spacecraft features two three-meter, seven-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) robotic arms, and 20+ situational-awareness cameras for safe orbital rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) procedures. See Also MRV-MEP Mission Updates NSF Shop Click here to Join L2

The vehicle also has refuelable chemical propulsion for RPOD and electric propulsion for orbital maneuvering. Alongside enabling longer satellite lifespans, the vehicle also features a Passive Refueling Module which enables future on-orbit refueling of the MRV vehicle. The system is the first U.S Space Force-approved passive refueling system.

SpaceLogistics also partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to deliver the robotic arms built by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. DARPAs Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program is researching and developing technologies that enable inspection and servicing in GEO of broken or aging satellites.

This upcoming demonstration is about proving the commercial viability of on-orbit servicing in GEO, creating a capability that will be available for both commercial industry and the U.S. government, said James Shoemaker,
DARPAs RSGS program manager

Mission Extension Pods

The 400 kg MEPs that MRV-1 will install are customer-owned and controlled propulsion augmentation devices. Once attached by the MRV, the MEP uses electric propulsion to provide orbit control and momentum offloading. After this process, the customer will control the spacecraft via a C- or Ku-band telemetry and command system. DARPAs robotic servicing arms developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in a clean room (Credit: DARPA)

Once operational, the MEPs will be capable of extending each satellites operational period by up to six years. Two of the devices will be used by Intelsat to service its satellites, with a third bought by Optus for its D3 communications satellite. Once in orbit, the payloads will spend up to a year climbing to the necessary altitude, and servicing of spacecraft is expected
to begin in 2027.

As the risk of orbital debris increases for space infrastructure and astronauts in low-Earth orbit, the need for safe satellite servicing and lifetime extension grows rapidly. SpaceLogistics vehicles enable refueling, maneuvering, and disposing of aging satellites in GEO, with the company already adding 10 years of extra life to existing spacecraft.

Rob Hauge, President of SpaceLogistics, emphasized this shift: We are
creating an in-space servicing infrastructure that has never existed before. Our successful experience in rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking
has laid the foundation for this critical next step in creating a more sustainable model for future satellite operations.

(Lead Image: Rendering of the MRV-1 vehicle with a Mission Extension Pod. Credit: SpaceLogistics)



The post Falcon 9 to launch MRV-1 robotic servicing spacecraft for Northrop Grumman appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/07/mrv-1-launch/


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