Robotic servicing payload integrated onto Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle
NewsJune 06, 2025
DULLES, Virginia. Northrop Grumman completed integration of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s robotic payload onto its Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV), a key milestone in the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program led by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the company announced in a statement.
The integration occurred at Northrop Grumman’s Dulles facility and advances the development of what the company says will be the first commercial spacecraft capable of robotic servicing in geosynchronous orbit. The MRV is intended to perform tasks such as inspection, relocation, and repair of satellites, the statement reads.
Northrop Grumman’s subsidiary, SpaceLogistics LLC, is leading the effort, which builds on previous satellite servicing missions involving mission extension vehicles. The MRV will now enter environmental testing to assess its performance under space conditions, according to the company.
