Upgrade Delivery Vehicle: Proliferating Space Effects through Installing Satellite Upgrades Post-Launch using Commercial Orbit Transfer Vehicles

The Upgrade Delivery Vehicle (UDV) is a new class of space vehicle designed to support sustained space maneuver and dynamic space operations by enabling self-installing hardware upgrades onto existing prepared or unprepared satellites. The UDV system is composed of three key components: a containerized deployable upgrade payload (Freeflyer), a hosted payload, and a standard Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV). This architecture leverages existing commercial OTV infrastructure to deploy upgrades efficiently and flexibly, providing new capabilities to client satellites. The UDV system utilizes a containerized upgrade approach that integrates seamlessly with current OTV rideshare and mobility services. Once the OTV positions the UDV near the target satellite, the Freeflyer separates and autonomously approaches the client spacecraft, using advanced Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) capabilities. The Freeflyer then docks with the client satellite to install the upgrade, after which the OTV continues with other mission objectives. Upgrade applications include space domain awareness, inspection, and protection in LEO, GEO, and all orbital domains. This proposal will leverage Katalyst’s existing on-orbit upgrade technology to develop a TRL-6 capability for the core UDV system demonstrating the enabling technologies required for self-installing RPO capable upgrade.