MDA has purchased Space Systems Loral.
I think this means that the next generation of high-power comsats will be serviceable.
[Update a few minutes later]
Here’s the press release from Loral.
[Update a while later]
Related thoughts from Clark Lindsey.
[Update a few minutes later]
Here’s more from Space News, who also thinks it’s about servicing satellites.
This is great news — it means they might get someone at SS/L who can write an intelligible specification. 🙂 Not that I’m knocking their current business, mind you, far from it. Please, keep those orders coming…
I keep seeing a practical use of RobotGuys Legos. Fuel tanks and thrusters being a separate module from the rest of the satellite. You keep a supply of fully fueled modules at a staging area. When an old module has just enough fuel left, it unsnaps itself from it’s electronics and heads for the staging area. A different module is already on it’s way from the staging area to snap in place of the old module.
Wow, this is a major development.
I thought MDA had completely frozen their sat servicing plans, leaving DLR the only credible org to tackle this