Who makes Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)?

Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) is made by Northrop Grumman SpaceLogistics, based in Dulles, Virginia, USA.

Where is Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) deployed?

2 verified deployments of Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) are on the DEPLOY registry, including at Geostationary Orbit (GEO).

What is Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)'s maturity stage?

Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) is at the commercial stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Commercial stage means production-grade deployments are operating at named customer sites.

Robot model

Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)

Name: Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)
Brand: Northrop Grumman SpaceLogistics

GEO life-extension servicer that autonomously rendezvouses with and docks to a client satellite's apogee-engine ring, then provides station-keeping and attitude control.

Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) is a space robot built by Northrop Grumman SpaceLogistics. · Documented in 2 deployments in Geostationary Orbit (GEO).

Track Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)Email on verified state changes. Cap-flags flow through.

Machine-readable surfaces

Markdown mirror: /models/mission-extension-vehicle.md
JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
REST API: /v1/models/5d944b99-0d1e-4b84-b3f3-7c9b30231a79
Revision history: /models/mission-extension-vehicle/history
Data documentation: /data
Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP

Form factor: space
Maturity stage: commercial
Lifecycle: active
Deployments: 2
ID: 5d944b99-0d1e-4b84-b3f3-7c9b30231a79

Deploy Watch

Track Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) on Deploy.

We notify you when pricing, deployment status, or regulatory state changes against primary-source evidence, not when the maker issues claims.

Specs

role: orbital servicing
autonomy: autonomous GEO RPO + docking to non-cooperative client

Recent deployments (2)

Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) at Geostationary Orbit (GEO)Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) at Geostationary Orbit (GEO)Geostationary Orbit (GEO)

Manufacturer-attributed media (1)

Manufacturer-supplied media at the model level. Not tied to an independently verified named-site deployment. Verification posture is product-showcase from the maker, distinct from the deployment-verified evidence in the section above.

PRIMARY SOURCE

Courtesy of Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman footage of its Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-2) rendezvousing and docking with the Intelsat 10-02 satellite in geostationary orbit. A success: MEV-1 docked Intelsat-901 (2020) and MEV-2 docked Intelsat 10-02 (2021), the first commercial geostationary dockings, extending satellite life by taking over station-keeping. Autonomy attributed to Northrop Grumman.

Sources (1)

https://spacenews.com/northrop-grummans-mev-1-servicer-docks-with-intelsat-satellite/

Common questions

What is Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)?: GEO life-extension servicer that autonomously rendezvouses with and docks to a client satellite's apogee-engine ring, then provides station-keeping and attitude control.
Who makes Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)?: Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) is made by Northrop Grumman SpaceLogistics, based in Dulles, Virginia, USA.
Where is Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) deployed?: 2 verified deployments of Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) are on the DEPLOY registry, including at Geostationary Orbit (GEO).
What is Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)'s maturity stage?: Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) is at the commercial stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Commercial stage means production-grade deployments are operating at named customer sites.

Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-06-05

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-06-05

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: commercial

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: space

Sources by quality tier

1: unclassified; Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.