NASA has announced the discontinuation of its ambitious $2 billion project, the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) mission, aimed at refueling old satellites in orbit. The decision comes after an independent review revealed ongoing technical, cost, and schedule challenges that hindered the project's progress.
The OSAM-1 project, in development since 2015, was intended to extend the lifespan of satellites not originally designed for refueling by utilizing a robotic arm named the Space Infrastructure Dexterous Robot (SPIDER). This robotic arm was envisioned to perform tasks such as cutting open fuel hatches, releasing restraints, and unscrewing fuel caps while in space.
