Jane Edwards
A subsidiary of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates will investigate ideas on how to robotically assemble communication satellites while in orbit under a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
MDA said Wednesday Space Systems/Loral will carry out the study for five months under the initial phase of DARPA’s Dragonfly program, which seeks to launch larger geostationary satellites in pieces through a launch vehicle fairing approach in an effort to reduce the mass and cost of satellites.
DARPA also intends to determine the satellites’ capability to perform on-orbit self-assembly and reconfigure radiofrequency antenna reflectors.
SSL has proposed to collaborate with NASA to bring the on-orbit satellite assembly concept to a ground-based demonstration.
