NASA Ingenuity vs Northrop MEV-2
Head-to-head comparison of NASA JPL NASA Ingenuity and Maxar Technologies Northrop MEV-2. Updated 2026.
Last updated: September 26, 2026
Overall Score
78.6/ 100
NASA Ingenuity
NASA JPL
78.3/ 100
Northrop MEV-2
Maxar Technologies
Score Breakdown
88
Performance85
82
Reliability85
55
Ease of Use58
80
Intelligence82
85
Value75
70
Ecosystem72
85
Safety88
82
Design70
Specs Comparison
| Spec | NASA Ingenuity | Northrop MEV-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $85,000,000 | $300,000,000 |
| Power | Solar + lithium-ion | — |
| Rotors | 2 | — |
| Mass Kg | 1.8 | 2300 |
| Max Speed Ms | 10 | — |
| Max Altitude M | 24 | — |
| Rotor Diameter M | 1.2 | — |
| Flights Completed | 72 | — |
| Type | — | Satellite life extension |
| Orbit | — | GEO |
| Docking | — | Non-cooperative capture |
| Customer | — | Intelsat |
| Life Extension Years | — | 5 |
Buyer Intelligence
| Metric | NASA Ingenuity | Northrop MEV-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor Health Score | — | — |
| 5-Year TCO Estimate | $119,000,000 | $420,000,000 |
| Annual Maintenance | — | — |
| Support Model | — | — |
| Safety Certifications | — | — |