Nasa has awarded the $127m Restore-L spacecraft bus and support services contract to Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California, US.

Restore-L is a specially designed robotic spacecraft equipped with the necessary tools and technologies that will service the orbiting satellites of the Earth.

The contract comprises a core period of three years and a separate two-year phase for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity portion.

"Under the contract, Space Systems/Loral will provide a spacecraft bus, as well as essential hardware and services."

Under the contract, Space Systems/Loral will provide a spacecraft bus, as well as essential hardware and services that are necessary for the development, deployment and subsequent operations of the Restore-L mission.

The company is also scheduled to deliver related services such as test, launch and operations of the equipment that are crucial for its success.

The Restore-L Project is being developed within Nasa's Satellite Servicing Projects Division at the Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland. Nasa's Space Technology Mission Directorate is responsible for its development.

Expected to launch in 2020, Restore-L will be a free-flying mission and will perform in-orbit satellite servicing on an operational government asset revolving in low-Earth orbit.