Intelsat, a leading provider of inflight connectivity and operator of one of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks, has ordered its second Mission Extension Pod (MEP) from Northrop Grumman Corporation’s SpaceLogistics. The MEP will be installed on an unidentified Intelsat satellite operating in geosynchronous orbit, ensuring continuity of satellite service for at least six years beginning as early as 2026. This new contract represents the fourth deal with SpaceLogistics, following an order for a single MEP in April 2023 and two Mission Extension Vehicles (MEVs) already in service with Intelsat satellites. The MEP “jet pack” will be installed by SpaceLogistics’ mission robotic vehicle (MRV), which has completed critical design reviews and is in assembly and testing, and is proceeding toward launch. This recent purchase is the second this year, continuing Intelsat’s legacy of space sustainability first instituted in 2020 when SpaceLogistics’ Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-1) performed the first-ever in-orbit commercial spacecraft docking with Intelsat 901 (IS-901). That mission extended the life of IS-901 for another five years. In 2021, a second Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-2) began providing similar life-extension services for Intelsat 10-02.
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