Pittsburgh Inno - Carnegie Mellon University researchers to lead effort on robotics-assisted servicing of satellites in orbit bizjournals.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizjournals.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Around 6,500 satellites are in orbit, but only approximately half of them are operational. When a satellite runs out of fuel or breaks down, it is basically useless. Repairs, upgrades, or maintenance are virtually impossible in orbit.