geosynchronousEarthorbitsatellites

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  • U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

    How the Navy's orbiting robots will refurbish civilian satellites

    by 
    Andrew Tarantola
    Andrew Tarantola
    04.15.2016

    Geosynchronous orbits above Earth are among the most valuable real estate in the solar system. This band of space is utilized by everything from civilian communications and GPS satellites to government-operated weather and nuclear monitors to military applications like on-demand warfighter broadband. It's also a veritable minefield of broken-down, ground-up derelict satellites.

  • BlackJack3D via Getty Images

    DARPA thinks it has the solution to satellite longevity

    by 
    Timothy J. Seppala
    Timothy J. Seppala
    03.25.2016

    The government's mad science wing has an eye on lowering the cost and extending the lifespan of the geosynchronous Earth orbit satellites that follow our planet during its rotation. DARPA has proposed a system dubbed Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS if you're a fan of brevity) that'd essentially act as a lifeline for the satellites up above us. The program is still in its infancy but would "radically lower the risk and cost of operating in GEO," according to the firm.