Speaker
Description
The growth of space industry is unprecedented in recent times. Each year more satellites occupy Earth’s orbit, providing services such as telecommunication, imagining and navigation. The rapid expansion of space industry resulted in increase of hazards connected with space debris. The defunct man-made objects exceed the number of functional satellites and constitute a risk of collision to spacecraft. This article focuses on a progress of technologies for active debris removal and servicing developed by PIAP Space Sp. z o.o., Polish aerospace company. The robotic suite consists of components that include robotic manipulator, end effectors, dedicated vision system as well as force and torque sensor. The devices are under development in the TITAN, EROSS IOD and ORBITA projects. The objective of the TITAN project is to develop and demonstrate a 7-degrees-of-freedom robotic manipulator system for on-orbit servicing and small debris removal missions. The design of the manipulator is based on scalable joints and boom elements that enable its integration with various systems. Polish Space Research Centre is cooperating in the development of the control subsystem of the technology readiness level 6 demonstrator. The Launch Adapter Ring Gripper EM was developed in the EROSS+ project. Further models are under development in EROSS IOD. The gripper constitutes an end effector for a robotic arm of a servicing satellite and is designed to grasp and clamp interface of a target satellite during the berthing manoeuvre. This enables attitude and trajectory control including deorbiting as well as maintenance and repair operations. Multiple devices are developed within the ORBITA project. The Multipurpose Servicing Gripper is mounted on a robotic arm as an end effector. It is intended for conducting upkeeping operations on on-orbit satellites by grappling parts of the target satellites and using interchangeable tools. The vision system for the purpose of launch adapter ring position estimation during rendezvous is based on time-of-flight detector. The calculations of spatial transformations of the technology demonstrator are conducted on dedicated computer which uses parallel computing to expedite processing. The force and torque sensor is intended to be placed on the end of robotic arm, prior to its end effector. A proprietary controller and software compatible with strain gauge sensor are under development. The outlined devices are meant to be used as building blocks in upcoming space missions. They can be incorporated into future and already existing solutions owning to their compatibility with the European space industry ecosystem. Beforehand a series of demonstrations is planned. The TITAN manipulator entered MAIT phase and on ground verification end of 2023. The force and torque sensor functional and selected environmental tests shall be finalised end of 2023. The functionality of the Launch Adapter Ring Gripper will be evaluated during the in-orbit demonstration. The developments are intended to help in providing safer and cleaner space.
