[SatNews] ViviSat has announced a unique, highly agile hosted payload capability that…
…will supplement its life extension services. ViviSat uses the Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV), manufactured by one of its parent companies, ATK (NYSE: ATK). The primary mission of the MEV is to dock with an orbiting satellite and serve as the propulsion and attitude control systems. This enables mission extension for satellites that have run out of maneuvering fuel yet still have healthy payload and power systems.
“Life extension is the founding mission for the MEV. However, we have an increasing interest by customers and the scientific community in our unique agility and the large Space, Weight and Power (SWAP) that we can accommodate,” said Bryan McGuirk, Chief Operating Officer of ViviSat.
“The MEV can host payloads greater than 200kg and accommodate power demands greater than 2kW. The differentiating feature of the MEV capability versus most other GEO Commsat hosts is the ability to be temporarily located to any orbital slot, or multiple slots, as arranged for by the payload provider. Furthermore, there is no constraint on pointing or slewing like most other GEO hosts,” said Joe Anderson, Chief Engineer and Director of MEV Services at ATK.
“Hosted payloads can actually perform as the primary mission during the first several years of life of the MEV and then the MEV will revert to its original mission of life extension. This combination of prime mission flexibility, orbit location agility and large SWAP opens up a new market that cannot be met by typical GEO Commsats,” said retired Maj. Gen. Craig Weston, CEO of ViviSat.
Attendees at the Satellite 2013 Conference in Washington, D.C., can learn more about ViviSat at the ATK exhibit booth (#9039) inside the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Members of the ViviSat team will be available to share information and introduce an animated video of ViviSat’s Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) and discuss its hosted payload capability.
