Patent ID: 8074935

Claim:
A system mounted on a servicing spacecraft for transferring fluid to a client satellite, the client satellite including a tank and a fluid port, the tank being coupled to the fluid port, the fluid port including a fluid valve having a valve actuation nut for opening and closing the fluid valve and an access valve cap on the fluid valve, comprising: fluid transfer means for transferring a fluid from a fluid tank on the servicing spacecraft to the tank on the client satellite, wherein the fluid is selected from the group consisting of fuel and oxidizer; tool means for removing and replacing the access valve cap, for coupling a fluid line to the fluid port and decoupling therefrom, and for actuating the valve actuation nut to open and close the fluid valve; sensing means for determining a relative displacement between said tool means and the fluid port; positioning means connected to said tool means, for positioning said tool means with respect to the fluid port; and control means in communication with said sensing means, said positioning means, and said tool means, for controlling operation of said positioning means and said tool means based on feedback from said sensing means.