Orbital Express Propellant Resupply Servicing

The Orbital Express demonstration program is a satellite-servicing mission that includes fluid resupply, slated for launch in 2006. The mission has the objective of demonstrating the technologies needed for routine servicing of spacecraft, namely autonomous rendezvous and docking, propellant resupply, and orbital replacement unit transfer. The demonstration system uses two spacecraft. A servicing vehicle (ASTRO) will perform multiple dockings with a client (NEXTSat) spacecraft, and perform a variety of propellant transfers in addition to exchange of a battery and potentially a computer.