Satellite Servicing Opportunities In Geosynchronous Orbit

A number of systems intended to provide station-keeping, relocation, refueling, or other lifetime extension services to spacecraft in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) have been proposed in the past or are in development at present. This paper examines the technical and economic feasibility of telerobotic servicing in GEO. The economics of GEO spacecraft refueling are addressed in particular. A detailed survey of GEO spacecraft lifetimes and estimated fuel use is compared to reported annual spacecraft revenues to estimate the value of refueling spacecraft in GEO. Fuel requirements for a representative telerobotic servicing vehicle are examined, as are the effects of periodic propellant deliveries via hosted payload upmass, ESPA, dedicated launch, and dual launch slots. The value boundaries of a kilogram of propellant are established from both a delivery cost and an estimated customer revenue perspective.