REUTOV, January 27. /TASS/. Russian mechanical engineering company NPO Mashinostroyenia suggests developing service satellites for maintenance of other spacecraft. "We would like to emphasize the high technical readiness and huge potential market, company engineer Anton Sviridov said on Friday.

Such satellites will be capable of monitoring spacecraft, identifying damage, bringing to the target orbit in the event of failures of the upper stages or space junk deorbiting. Service satellites may also perform spacecraft recharging and automatic assembly of large structures in space in the long run.

Satellite makers and customers, insurers and private investors capable of finding commercial application for service satellites may be stockholders in the development of such spacecraft.

"NPO Mashinostroyenia is carrying work in this area. The company is known for receiving several patents for spacecraft maintenance," Sviridov stated.

The design of such satellites should address domestic long-term experience of orbit stations’ maintenance, automatic docking of spacecraft and recharging of stations, the engineer said. "Russia comprehends the need for developing these areas but practical implementation is at an early stage," he added.