Orbital ATK has taken a step forward in its plans to develop its satellite servicing activities with the announcement that Intelsat has signed a contract to become the first customer for the service.

Under the agreement, Orbital ATK will manufacture, test and launch the first Commercial Servicing Vehicle (CSV), the Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1), which incorporates technologies already used in its commercial satellite and space logistics businesses.

The MEV had until now been under development by Vivisat, a joint venture between Orbital ATK and U.S. Space. Vivisat has reportedly been dissolved and replaced with an Orbital ATX subsidiary, Satellite Logistic LLC.

Orbital ATK will introduce in-orbit satellite servicing with the Mission Extension Vehicle-1 which is based on the company’s GEOStar spacecraft bus platform. Controlled by the company’s satellite operations team, the MEV-1 uses a reliable, low-risk docking system that attaches to existing features on a customer’s satellite. The MEV-1 provides life-extending services by taking over the propulsion and attitude control functions. The vehicle has a 15-year design life with the ability to perform numerous dockings and undockings during its life span.

The launch of the first MEV is slated for late 2018 with in-orbit testing and demonstration to be performed with an Intelsat satellite. This testing is scheduled for completion by early 2019.  MEV-1 will then relocate to the Intelsat satellite scheduled for the mission extension service, which is planned for a five-year period. Intelsat will also have the option to service multiple satellites using the same MEV.

Orbital ATK’s vision is to establish a fleet of servicing vehicles that can address the diverse servicing needs of GEO satellites as well as perform other services such as repair and assembly.