Orbital Manoeuvre

Change a satellite's orbit

Applications enabled by this capability

• Active Debris Removal

  Capture and removal of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and other space debris from orbit

• Controlled Re-Entry

  Deliberate and managed descent of a satellite into Earth’s atmosphere

• Resupply

  Provision of goods to a orbital client

• Products for Earth

  Manufacture of products for use on Earth

• Policing

  Enforcement of regulations

• Relocation

  One-off adjustment of a satellite's orbit (e.g. inclination change)

• AOCS Takeover

  Ongoing management of a satellite's orbit and attitude (i.e. stationkeeping)

• Return-to-Earth

  Non-destructive controlled re-entry of a payload back to Earth

• Inspection

  Remote inspection of a satellite by another satellite, by acquiring data or images, or remotely exchanging data in order to assess the conditions of the space system

• Graveyard Orbit Transfer

  Transfer of satellite to graveyard orbit via external servicer (rather than as part of usual decommissioning operations using spacecraft's own fuel reserves)

• Orbit Insertion

  Launch & Orbit Transfer Vehicles (Space Tugs)