Intelsat 10-02 (THOR 10-02) at 1° W was constructed by EADS Astrium (Airbus Defense & Space) and lifted on June 16th, 2004 on a Proton M launcher operated by launch operator ILS. The satellite, with a life time of 13 years, is operated by satellite operator Intelsat and satellite operator  Space Norway (former Telenor satellite Services) owns seven Ku-band transponders on the Spot 1 and Spot 2 payload for high-powered coverage throughout Europe and the Middle-East.

Intelsat planned to extend Intelsat 10-02 operating life with Northrop Grumman’s 2^nd Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-2) that acts as a new engine and fuel tank, helping to keep Intelsat 10-02 stable for at least five more years. Intelsat 10-02 now is running low on fuel, so MEV-2 will ensure that the satellite can continue operating for a little while longer before it has to be moved to the graveyard. MEV-2 docked with the Intelsat 10-02 (THOR 10-02) satellite in April of 2021.

Northrop Grumman is the only provider of flight-proven life extension services for satellites and this is the second time the company has docked two commercial spacecraft in orbit. The company’s MEV-1 made history when it successfully docked to the Intelsat 901 (IS-901) satellite in February 2020. Unlike MEV-1, which docked above the GEO orbit before moving IS-901 back into service, MEV-2 docked with IS-10-02 directly in its operational GEO orbital location.

The MEV-2 was launched in a dual launch with Intelsat’s Galaxy-30 satellite on August 15^th, 2020 on an Ariane 5ECA rocket booster, operated by launch operator Arianespace from the Kourou Space Port in French Guyana.