A small spacecraft supported by NASA is now in orbit. The Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability (SSPICY) mission launched on Oct. 1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
SSPICY is a technology demonstration. It will maneuver close to satellites that have stopped operating and examine them, testing the propulsion and inspection capabilities that this kind of close-range work requires.
According to NASA, the techniques tested on SSPICY could lead to servicing and repairing spacecraft in orbit. They could also help reduce orbital debris, which is a growing problem in busy orbits around Earth.
