The MRV’s robotic arms were developed in partnership with the Naval Research Lab and NASA.

Northrop Grumman has successfully launched its Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) alongside three Mission Extension Pods (MEPs), marking a significant step forward in autonomous satellite servicing and in-space operations. The spacecraft lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral and is now en route to geosynchronous Earth orbit, where it will carry out robotic servicing missions using the NASA-supported Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload.

Developed through Northrop Grumman’s investment and collaboration with the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the MRV is the nation’s first multi-mission robotic in-space servicer. The platform is designed to expand satellite servicing capabilities by performing inspection, relocation, repair, debris removal, upgrades, in-space assembly and technology demonstrations, providing satellite operators with new options for maintaining and extending spacecraft operations.

At the core of the mission is DARPA’s RSGS robotics payload, developed by the US Naval Research Laboratory. The system features two fully articulated robotic arms equipped with specialised tools that will enable the spacecraft to inspect and upgrade satellites in orbit. One of its primary functions is to install Mission Extension Pods, small propulsion units that act as “jetpacks” to provide supplemental thrust, extending the operational life of ageing satellites and improving their manoeuvrability.

The spacecraft also carries the first Passive Refueling Module, a US Space Force-approved docking and refuelling interface that will allow the MRV itself to be refuelled while in orbit, supporting longer-duration servicing missions. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with advanced onboard processing capabilities designed to support future artificial intelligence-powered operations, with Northrop Grumman aiming to improve mission reliability, reduce operational costs and enable increasingly autonomous in-space servicing.

The RSGS mission combines expertise from government agencies and industry to demonstrate advanced robotic technologies for space operations. Funded by DARPA, the programme integrates robotic arms developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory onto the MRV, creating a platform capable of servicing satellites in geosynchronous orbit by attaching Mission Extension Pods that can add years to their operational lifespan.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center joined the programme in 2024 through an interagency agreement with DARPA, contributing expertise gained from the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and the Robotic Refueling Missions aboard the International Space Station. The agency has supported the programme by developing dynamic simulation and analysis tools, conducting software performance verification and providing a team of robotic flight operators to assist with complex in-orbit procedures.

With hundreds of satellites operating in geosynchronous orbit, many are retired despite remaining functional because they exhaust their fuel supplies or become technologically outdated. The RSGS programme is intended to address that challenge by extending spacecraft lifespans, improving the sustainability of space operations and enabling more cost-effective and flexible mission designs for future commercial and government space activities.