[FPSPACE] More on space refuelling

[Keith Gottschalk]

           Talking of hyperlinks & news stories, since my last email
I've now read end-to-end the news report concerned. I must partly
retract my last email.

     First, congratulations to the USA, which did indeed become the 2nd
space power to carry out automated orbital space refuelling between
March-July 2007!  

       Second, as JimO pointed out, sometime last year I think, the
Orbital Express was an advance on Progress, in that it can dock with an
inert / dead-in-the-water satellite and refuel it.

    Last, alas, when that technology demonstrator ended, that was that.
No one plans to augument the STS docking mechanism with that capability.
 We will just have to wait & see if anyone designs a future production
series upper stage for Ariane,  or Long March 2F, akin to Progress.

Keith

    
-------------- next part --------------
All Email originating from UWC is covered by disclaimer http://www.uwc.ac.za/portal/uwc2006/content/mail_disclaimer/index.htm