Submission + - Revolutionary Robotic Satellite Launches Tonight
airshowfan writes: "When a geosynchronous satellite is launched into space, no human ever gets to touch it again, so other than for minor software issues, there is no way to fix it if it breaks, so it has to work perfectly, almost autonomously, for 20 years non-stop. There is also no way to refuel it once it's out of thruster fuel, the reason why it can't last more than 20 years even if it gets to that mark working very well, with batteries and solar cells still going, which is often the case. If only there were a robotic spacecraft floating around the geostationary ring that could change broken satellite components and refuel those older satellites, then satellites would be a lot less risky and would last a lot longer. Does this robotic satellite mechanic sound like science ficion? It launches tonight."