Roughly 100 people from 30 different companies attended NASA’s April 2017 satellite servicing industry day. The group represented various industries, including engineering, manufacturing, technology, insurance, data solutions and more. Photo: NASA/Michael Flynn

NASA will host a satellite servicing industry day at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland on Jan. 30. The all-day event will focus on technology for building in-orbit servicers and incorporating compatible servicing features and devices on future satellites.

NASA has already been working to make satellite servicing a reality, partnering with SSL to build a servicing spacecraft as part of its Restore-L project. According to NASA, Restore-L will demonstrate technologies for rendezvous, inspection, repair and refueling of a client satellite in orbit.

NASA hopes to kickstart a new domestic commercial servicing industry via technology transfer. At this month’s industry day, the agency will discuss and make available technologies including relative navigation systems, robot arms and software, tool drive systems and tools, fluid transfer systems, and servicing avionics and software.

NASA intends to hold future industry days every six to eight months.