Orbital Recovery has signed a memorandum of understanding with an undisclosed first customer for a 2009 mission. The UK-based company’s Conexpress Orbital Life Extension Vehicle (CX-OLEV) space tug will be launched in 2008 by Ariane 5, but the orbital mechanics of rendezvous mean it will not dock with the target satellite for four to six months.
Once the CX-OLEV has docked, the satellite will be kept operational in its current orbit for an additional five years. “We expect to be able to confirm one or two more customers by mid-2006,” says Orbital Recovery chief executive Philip Braden.
Development of the CX-OLEV is supported by the European Space Agency’s Artes 4 public-private partnership initiative.
Source: Airline Business
