Two private satellites have been latched on to one another for the first time in orbit around earth as part of a rescue mission to enhance the lifespan of weakening spacecraft. The first communications satellite IS-901, launched by Intelsat, is running out of fuel. While, the second, called the Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) is designed to connect to other satellites to control their orbits and their directions. MEV-1 latched on to IS-901 and now conducting diagnostic tests before the connected satellite moves from the higher orbit. This could help deal with the thousands of dead satellites in orbit that could prove problematic for space flight in the future.