On the very last space shuttle flight to orbit, Atlantis STS-135 will carry the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) developed by the Satellite Servicing Capabilities project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. It plans to demonstrate the technology and tools to refuel satellites in orbit by robotic means. After the proof of concept, the long-term goal of NASA is to transfer the technology to the commercial sector.
The Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) is an external International Space Station experiment that paves the way for future robotic refueling missions by demonstrating robotic refueling tasks and servicing technologies in a zero-g environment. RRM uses the ISS's Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (also known as "Dextre"), "representative satellite fueling interfaces" and four unique RRM tools to validate the tasks, tools, and techniques needed to repair "legacy" satellites, spacecraft not designed to be refueled in orbit, (NASA).
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