What services satellite operators need
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 The Escort Agent Separates from The Utility Agent for a free flying inspection
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Inspection of:
· live satellites to assist during commissioning and characterization of performance and for better calibration;
· malfunctioning or dead satellites to determine status for anomaly resolution; and,
· of large space debris to determine feasibility to re-orbit to graveyard.
Transportation:
· to re-orbit CS at end-of-life;
· to re-orbit the apogee-kick-motors and upper stages soon after injection into orbit;
· to correct inclination of satellites which reach low levels of fuel reserve, extending in this way their operational life time.
Refueling to enable the new satellites to be launched with small fuel supplies. Such practice will result in significantly lower manufacturing and launch service costs. The decision for additional fuel and the associated funding would be needed only at a later point in time, and implemented according to the remaining operational life of the satellite, the health status and market conditions. Currently 15 satellites / y (70%) die-off prematurely due to fuel depletion, which is a significant waste (of roughly 465 M €/ y).
Preventive and Recovery maintenance in order to replace outdated or faulty units, enabling in this way the manufacturing of satellites which are capable to capitalize faster on technological developments.
Assembly in space of large structures by tele-operated robotic facilities could enable availability of structures that normally do not fit, in an efficient manner, under dimensional constraints the launcher’s fairing or can not endure the environmental conditions during launch (high g, acoustic vibration, etc).
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