A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off successfully from Cape Canaveral on Tuesday, embarking on an unusual mission: acting as a mechanic in orbit.
The rocket carried hardware equipped with robotic arms capable of inspecting, repairing, and attaching life-extending jetpacks to older satellites already circling Earth.
Those jetpacks are designed to take over a satellite's propulsion and steering functions — potentially keeping an otherwise aging spacecraft operational for up to eight additional years.
The launch adds another milestone to Cape Canaveral's busy cadence of SpaceX missions, while pointing to a growing industry focused on servicing and extending the usefulness of existing space infrastructure rather than simply replacing it.
This story was first reported by WSVN 7News.
