[Satellite News 01-18-11] ViviSat, a new, U.S.-based satellite life extension joint venture between U.S. Space and ATK, intends to provide geosynchronous satellite operators with in-orbit mission extension and protection services in order to add to the revenue-producing life of its customers’ satellites.
    ATK General Manager Tom Wilson and ViviSat COO Bryan McGuirk spoke with Satellite News on how the company believes its Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) will change the way operators manage their assets and plan for the future.

Satellite News: What is the basic concept behind your service and the MEV vehicle?

McGuirk: When a geosynchronous satellite nears its end of fuel life but has enough electrical power to operate for another two to 12 years, we launch an MEV into space that will actually dock with this satellite. The beauty of the MEV is, first and foremost, its simplicity. It is a vehicle based on a small satellite bus that ATK has developed for many years. It’s simple because the vehicle does not do anything but connect to the satellite like a jetpack. It does not connect in to the satellite in any other way. It does not connect to the electrical system, and there is no fuel exchange. We hooked up with a number of companies that had the right technologies in terms of the docking and the electric propulsion that we used to form the technical concept.

Wilson: That simple connection and ease of use — one MEV for one satellite — makes this very scalable. The docking capability, because of its simplicity, lessens the risk for operators. That’s a big plus for our customers as operators are constantly managing risk.

Satellite News: How was this idea conceived?

Wilson: This started with ATK a long time ago with some of the acquisitions that we made starting in the 90s, where we acquired some satellite, solar array and propulsion manufacturers in our effort to expand our future space market out of a purely defense-based propulsion business. We also had built more than 200 tools and robotic devices for NASA astronauts for all the Hubble servicing missions from the International Space Station, so we took all of that technology and bundled it up starting about two years ago.
Then in 2007, we determined that there was going to be a future market in satellite servicing, so we started making investments in rendezvous and proximity technology and in mechanisms technology. In the beginning of 2010, we were looking for a partner that understood the commercial communications satellite industry and understood how to raise the money to pull this whole project together and found U.S. Space as one of the key partners we wanted to work with as the mission prime contractor for the MEV.

Satellite News: What’s the size of the market you are targeting?

McGuirk: It’s a large market. The number of geosynchronous satellites in their final five years of life is approaching 100 and the total geo satellite market is a multiple of that, with a large market of constantly maturing satellites, so this is a vast opportunity for us.

Satellite News: Does the MEV have a range of capabilities beyond mission extension?

McGuirk: Yes, and through discussions we’ve had with virtually every major operator, we discovered new uses and capabilities we never even thought of. First off, the MEV has the ability to raise and readjust the orbit for a satellite that experience anomalies. The MEV can also serve as a back up for launches.

Wilson: The MEV also is reusable, so it can dock with and extend the lives of multiple satellites. We’re not just building one of these. We can build them in volume at regular six-month-type manufacturing centers. We’ll be in a position to provide these MEVs as customers need them. This adds a new flexibility for operators.

McGuirk: The industry is well aware of the time it takes to manufacture a satellite, and because of the mission-critical nature of those satellites, often times they’ll start these missions six years in advance. I believe our MEV will actually help the entire industry move towards an adjusted time inventory model.

Satellite News: How will you launch the MEVs?

Wilson: It would be launched just as a regular satellite would on a typical launch vehicle. They’re fairly lightweight, so we’ll be able to launch them effectively and efficiently.

McGuirk: While we have yet to enter into partnerships with launch providers, we do have the ability to launch on a number of vehicles.

Satellite News: How have operators reacted to ViviSat’s offering?

McGuirk: They see it is a real, meaningful game changer for the industry. We’re the first U.S. company to bring a satellite life extension product to market. Coming from both a customer and operator’s perspective, having left SES World Skies to join ViviSat last summer, I can tell you that the quality of the industry’s satellites have increased dramatically over the past 10 years, but there’s really been no reward for that increase in quality. There were many times as an operator that I almost cried when we had to retire satellites, because I knew they were some of the best performing assets we had. Our mission life extension service is a way for operators to take advantage of their efforts.

Wilson: A common operator response has been, “We needed this three years ago. Why has it taken so long?”

Satellite News: What are ViviSat’s goals for its first year?

McGuirk: The goal in the near-term is to have follow-on discussions with our customers. The idea is to target the operators with a number of satellites near the end of their life and begin discussions about a contract. We also want to sign our first contract in the near future.