Boeing Co. demonstrated a fully autonomous, free-flight rendezvous and capture operation, while Northrop Grumman Corp. conducted multiple fluid transfers between two space vehicles using the Orbital Express system, the companies announced separately May 10.

Using onboard cameras and a video-guidance system, the Boeing Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations (ASTRO) servicing spacecraft separated from the NextSat spacecraft, backed away to 10 meters (33 feet), maintained proximity flight with NextSat for a full orbit, and then approached and captured NextSat with its docking mechanism. It marked the first such operation performed without active exchange of navigation information or any intervention or control from the ground.

Orbital Express, an effort to validate technologies for on-orbit satellite servicing, is led by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Team members include NASA; Ball Aerospace; MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.; Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.; and Starsys Research.