Telenor Satellite's THOR 10-02 makes satellite communications history 36 000 km above the equator.

An image of THOR 10-02 / IS-10-02 taken by MEV-2’s infrared wide field of view camera at 15m away. Image courtesy of Northrop Grumman.

Featured image: An image of THOR 10-02 / IS-10-02 taken by MEV-2’s infrared wide field of view camera at 15m away. Image courtesy Northrop Grumman.

Ground-breaking mission in the deepest of space.

Dockings between spacecraft take place on a routine basis, as part of ongoing operations at the international space station. Missions, bringing crew, supplies and fuel, occur regularly at 400 km above the surface of the Earth, where the space station orbits our planet every 93 minutes.

But on April 12, 2021 something truly pioneering took place even further out in space. In fact, almost one hundred times further, 36 000 km above the equator! Here, far above our planet, we made history as Northrop Grumman’s MEV-2 (Mission Extension Vehicle) and our THOR 10-02 satellite docked with each other for the first-ever on-orbit servicing of an active satellite.

Long live THOR 10-02!

THOR 10-02 satellite has been flying in space since 2004, providing vital communication links for broadcasting, maritime and land-based connectivity for parts of Europe and the Middle East. Although the satellite was in excellent health, it was beginning to run out of fuel. This is not unexpected, and before, this would have meant the end of life for a satellite. However, with the help of the latest revolutionary space technology, we can now make sure that our satellite lives on and serves our customers for another five years.

MEV-2 was launched in August of 2020 on board an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guinea. Its sole mission was to fly to THOR 10-02, approach it carefully, centimetre-by-centimetre and grab hold of THOR 10-02 to extend its mission life. Simply put, it is an extraordinary achievement to approach and dock while travelling at 3 km/second at 36 000 km above the Earth!

Kudos to all our teammates at Telenor Satellite, partners in Intelsat who operate THOR 10-02 and Northrop Grumman who operate the MEV-2 for this remarkable achievement. Without this success, our THOR 10-02 would have left active service towards the end of 2021 due to running out of fuel. Instead, a new chapter was opened in the life of our satellite.

Arianespace’s fifth mission of 2020 used an Ariane 5 with increased payload capacity, resulting from the integration of a new vehicle equipment bay. Flight VA253. Galaxy 30, MEV-2 and BSAT-4b. Décollage champ large, le 15/08/2020. | Wide view lift-off. 08/15/2020. Image courtesy Arianespace.

So what’s so special about the GEO orbit?

This is where we find the geosynchronous satellites used for all kinds of communication, observation and navigation missions. As we all know, the earth revolves around its axis in 24 hours. What you perhaps didn’t know is that satellites in the geosynchronous orbit travel around their orbit in exactly the same time. This means that a satellite in the GEO orbit follows the rotation of the Earth, and the satellite, therefore, appears to stay fixed with respect to Earth.

This property is enormously important, since it allows for the installation of the small, inexpensive parabolic antennas that we are so used to for receiving satellite television. Hundreds of TV-channels are available to watch with no cables, only a small antenna dish on your wall. And for our maritime clients, this means robust connectivity for their business-critical operations at sea.

Together, no mission is impossible.

We are proud to be part of this revolutionary mission, making satellite communications history together with our talented and dedicated colleagues and trusted partners.

Intelsat, co-owner and operator of IS-10-02 /THOR 10-02.

Northrop Grumman, developer and operator of the MEV-2.

How it all began

Launch of a new era in space

About Space Norway

Space Norway is Northern Europe’s leading satellite operator and a key player in the European space industry.

We provide secure and reliable satellite connectivity services to governments, public and defence sectors, commercial maritime, land-based industries, and broadcasters. Our portfolio of satellites, teleport infrastructure and subsea fibreoptic cables enables us to deliver intelligent solutions that meet the needs of clients in Europe, the Arctic, the Middle East and Africa.

Our team’s industry-leading expertise, agility and commitment to excellence allow us to respond swiftly to market demands, accelerating technological breakthroughs.

Our goal is to harness space for security, research, commercial growth, and beyond. We remain at the forefront of innovation – enhancing life and expanding possibilities.

Space Norway is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and represents the Norwegian Government’s strategic interests in the space sector. Our subsidiaries include Space Norway Satcom AS (formerly, Telenor Satellite AS), Space Norway Heosat AS and Statsat AS. Space Norway holds 50 per cent of shares in Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) in a joint venture with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.