Nichols Martin
Motiv Space Systems has teamed up with Blue Origin in an effort to help the Department of Defense develop a robotic system to repair, update or modify deployed satellites.
The team will offer the ModuLink system composed of interfaces, sensors and a pair of robotic arms to a prototyping initiative managed by the Defense Innovation Unit, Motiv said Tuesday.
ModuLink is based on the company’s xLink robotic manipulation technology and intended to support satellite refueling, component repairs, payload module delivery, spacecraft repositioning and in-space spacecraft assembly.
The partnership expects to complete the platform within a three-year period under DIU’s Modularity for Space Systems Program and plans to equip it with the Space Robot Operating System, a software architecture being developed by Blue Origin and NASA.
DIU chose Motiv, Tethers Unlimited and Maxar Technologies to build separate servicing vehicle system prototypes for the M4SS effort.
