Get the latest tech news
MEV-1 service spacecraft makes history with first undocking of two commercial satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) – heralding a new age of commercial space operations.
Northrop Grumman has written a new line in the history books, the company's Mission Extension Vehicle 1 (MEV-1) executing the first undocking of two commercial satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) – heralding a new age of commercial space operations.
Built and operated by SpaceLogistics LLC, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, MEV-1 had already made history on February 25, 2020 when it docked with the decommissioned Intelsat IS-901 communications satellite in GEO at an altitude of 22,000 miles (36,000 km) above the Earth. The MEV-1 managed its docking feat with a special probe that inserts into the main engine nozzle of the target satellite and locks itself in. Before it was undocked on April 9, 2025, MEV-1 pushed the re-decommissioned coms satellite back into a graveyard orbit where it won't pose a hazard to navigation.
Or read this on r/tech
