May 5 2007
From The Space Library
DARPA’s Orbital Express mission successfully executed a maneuver to demonstrate a satellite servicing technique. Orbital Express consisted of a robotic servicer called ASTRO and a fuel depot and client satellite called NextSat. The mission aimed to demonstrate in-orbit refueling and servicing. The test marked the first time the two craft had maneuvered separately, flying apart at a distance of approximately 10 meters (33 feet). After the two craft had flown apart for 1 hour, ASTRO directed on-board guidance and navigation instruments to close in and to dock with NextSat, completing the mission’s objectives without input from ground controllers. The test was the third of nine increasingly complex procedures DARPA had planned for the mission.
Stephen Clark, “Orbital Express Duo Split Apart, Rejoin Autonomously,” Spaceflight Now, 7 May 2007.
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