A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Northrop Grumman's Mission Robotic Vehicle and three Mission Extension Pods from Cape Canaveral, Florida on July 21. The spacecraft will spend about a year reaching geosynchronous orbit, 36,000 kilometers above Earth. Beginning in mid-2027, the two-armed robot will attach one propulsion pod to each of three aging communication satellites, extending their service lives by several years.