Astroscale U.S. in partnership with the Goddard Space Flight Center, completed a four-week series of tests as part of the Approach and Maneuvering Technology Validation Program (RPO). Testing took place in a specialized Servicing Technology Center (STC) NASA and became part of a five-year agreement under the Space Act Agreement program (WEATHER).
The purpose of the campaign is to verify the critical stages of interaction of space vehicles in the immediate vicinity, which is key to the APS-R mission, which Astroscale implements under contract with the US Space Force (USSF). This mission is aimed at introducing hydrazine refueling technologies and extending the service life of satellites in orbit.
Thanks to NASA's infrastructure, in particular, the capabilities of the In-space Servicing center, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM), Astroscale was able to simulate complex scenarios of autonomous rendezvous and capture between spacecraft — critical for future servicing missions in near-Earth space.
Source: https://news.satnews.com