Speakers
Description
The Space Rider program, part of the space transportation systems of the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to reach a step-further into Europe’s space access capabilities by developing an uncrewed, automated, and reusable spaceplane capable of carrying out multiple missions to and from low Earth orbit (LEO).
The primary scope of this presentation is to focus on possible use of SR as cooperative platform for space assets (structures and satellites) capable of performing a whole set of services such as: orbital life extension, in-orbit placement, de-orbit, and retrieval of experiment results, in space assembling, goods manufacturing, and recycling (contributing in this way to the ESA Zero Debris approach and end-of-life management).
Representative of the above functional areas is the operational interaction of SR with SROC payload, and it foreseen operations scheduled for the maiden flight. The SROC (Space Rider Observer Cube) is an ESA technology demonstration mission based on a CubeSat deployed from Space Rider that will perform inspection, rendezvous and dock with a dedicated retrieval mechanism hosted in the SR cargo bay. SROC will allow the development and in-orbit demonstration of technologies and capabilities for small-satellite proximity operations, with a particular focus on propulsion, GNC, and docking/retrieval mechanisms.
The presentation will also show the ongoing studies, based on recent published ESA guidelines on safe close proximity operations, to evolve the SR vehicle in a prepared and co-operative target for Close Proximity Operations (CPO) with other institutional or commercial orbital vehicles. In particular, system elements will be presented to define strategies and system requirements for the definition of approach and rendez-vous with SR zones and phases, evaluations in terms of concept of operations, capture interfaces, visual markers, and robotics. In this regard, a feasibility study with IOSHEX orbital module for joint operations in space with SR is ongoing, focusing also on the capability to provide a joint system able to perform active debris removal (for example, through use of SR cargo-bay or via placement of de-orbiting kits).
Furthermore, future capabilities for interoperability between SR and other orbital vehicles in terms of power and data exchange, fluids and propellants and robotic operations, payloads re-allocation and exchange from/to the SR cargo bay are investigated.
Early studies of orbital robotics TRL raising are ongoing, including development of in-space complex operations robotic arm concepts to perform interactive operations with SR and enhanced mission servicing and in-orbit operations. These capabilities will be the base for commercial in-orbit servicing and circular economy implementation.
