Maxar is building the spacecraft bus in collaboration with Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center’s SSPD. Credit: Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center.

Maxar Technologies has completed a critical design review (CDR) for the on-orbit servicing spacecraft bus being built for Nasa’s Restore-L project to refuel a satellite in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

Following the completion of the review, the spacecraft bus is to be shipped to Nasa next year for integration with its payload for its scheduled launch set to take place in 2022.

Maxar carried out the CDR for the spacecraft bus over five days at its Silicon Valley manufacturing facility. The review demonstrated that its design meets mission requirements.

Maxar is also building both nimble robotic arms for the Restore-L spacecraft, which will capture, manipulate, refuel and safely release the US Geological Survey’s Landsat 7 remote sensing satellite in LEO.

“The technologies proven on Restore-L are of great value to future exploration and science missions.”

The company is building the spacecraft bus in collaboration with Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center’s Satellite Servicing Projects Division (SSPD).

Maxar Technologies Strategic Growth senior vice-president Mike Edwards said: “The technologies proven on Restore-L are of great value to future exploration and science missions, and will play a crucial role in enabling our exploration of the Moon and beyond.

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“Satellite servicing is one of many disruptive technologies that Maxar is pioneering to provide our customers with expanded options for more resilient and cost-effective operations in space.”

The structural support, propulsion, attitude control, data and communications interface and power required to support the Restore-L robotic payload will be provided by the spacecraft for the on-orbit demonstration.

Funded by Nasa’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, the Restore-L aims to validate the use of tools, technologies and techniques developed to enable future exploration missions.

The spacecraft design is based on Maxar’s 1300-class platform that can enable a range of missions and technology advances.

Nasa selected Maxar Technologies company Space Systems/Loral (SSL) last October to collaborate on the development of two ‘tipping point’ spacecraft technologies that can be used in future missions.

In December, the Restore-L satellite-servicing mission completed Nasa’s Mission Preliminary Design Review (PDR) using a spacecraft bus developed by SSL.