The technology to inspect, repair, refuel and retrieve satellites might actually reduce debris in orbit, though this can be confused with the technology to conduct reconnaissance on, sabotage, and capture satellites.
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By “can be confused with” do you mean “is the same as”?
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as long as the differences are classified, yes.
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Northrop, the makers of this satellite, has a satellite system to do on-orbit refueling and refitments of some satellites. From a delta-V perspective the only place that makes economical sense to do so is for the geostationary satellites since they are all essentially spaced out along the same orbit. It would require very little delta-V to skip from one satellite to the next, as long as you had time to kill.
Trying to do orbital rendezvous with anything in a different orbit would require massive delta-V and a limited life cycle for the system. Spy satellites operating in Molniya orbits would be exceedingly difficult to rendezvous with.
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Phew! For a second there, I had thought that the Balance of Terror was about to be disturbed.
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NASA’s gamma-ray-burst alert satellite put into safe mode after suspected reaction wheel failure
NASA has put its orbiting Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory into safe mode due to a suspected faulty reaction wheel, the first time this type of failure has occurred in its 17 years of operation.
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Some additional info and links:
If you want less CGI and more real effects in movies, you may get your wish: Inflatable film studio to orbit Earth
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100% real actor barf.
The underwriters will love this.
eta: Among Us: The Movie!
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So, Mr. Musk Will reach for the Moon…
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ESA’s Solar Orbiter sneaks in bonus science by choking on the dust of a comet tail (again)
The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter followed up its whizz past Earth as 2021 drew to a close by passing through the tail of a comet. Again.
While eyes were turned to French Guiana and the impending launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, for a few days around 17 December the spacecraft flew through the tail of Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard.
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Maybe later…
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