“The recent completion of thermal vacuum testing marks a major milestone toward achieving the program’s goal of demonstrating robotic servicing capabilities on orbit in the near future,” said Danly in the press release.

Once deployed in orbit, the RSGS payload will dock with satellites in geostationary orbit and perform a variety of maintenance tasks.

This could help extend the lifespan of existing commercial, civil, and national security satellites — with some costing billions.

Interestingly, these robots could also pave the way for constructing large structures in space, such as observatories and solar power stations.

Northrop Grumman’s MRV spacecraft bus, along with this robotic payload, is expected to launch in 2026.