Research Summaries

Back Analysis/Simulation/Lab Experimentation of the Dynamics/Control of Spacecraft with Robotic Manipulators for physical interaction with Resident Space Object

Fiscal Year 2017
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Investigator(s) Romano, Marcello
Sponsor Department of Defense Space (DoD)
Summary The proposed research is a continuation of a previously funded effort and leverages the previously developed state-of-the-art modelling, numerical simulation and experimental capabilities to investigate – through analysis, numerical simulation and experiments – the Dynamics and Control of:
1) capturing a rotating resident space object by using a robotic manipulator.
2) moving over a resident space object by traversing and hopping.
3) reconfiguring a spacecraft through aggregation and disaggregation of some of its parts.
Spacecraft equipped with robotic manipulators can enable multiple advanced space applications. Being able to autonomously capture a tumbling Resident Space Object (RSO) is an open challenge critical to many applications of interest. We will investigate different capture strategies, develop their dynamic modelling, their control laws and then experimentally demonstrate, on the NPS Floating Spacecraft Simulator test bed, the autonomous capture of a rotating object by using a robotic manipulator.
Moving over an RSO may be required for a number of inspection and on-orbit assembly missions. By using a robotic manipulator system, a spacecraft could traverse around an RSO and possibly hop from one location to another. We will investigate and experimentally demonstrate different traversing and hopping maneuvers.
Keywords
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal