Speakers
Description
Abstract
In the latest years ESA has taken a proactive role in the area of Active Debris Removal (ADR) by preparing the new generation of Earth Observation satellites for a potential removal as part of their End-of-Life management. In this respect, the six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions have adopted the Design for Removal Interface Requirements Document produced by ESA and are taking the required actions to implement it. It is encouraged that in the future, most missions should meet D4R guidelines to enable its uncooperative capture and deorbiting at End of Life. Client-side prescriptions are designed to work in close cooperation with active capture systems at servicing satellites.
In a previous activity, the consortium has designed a passive capture interface (MICE) to be placed at client-side, which is currently undergoing qualification. Now we are reporting results from development and maturation of the technologies for capture and removal at the servicer satellite side. This includes the development of a compatible end-effector, clamping devices, optical navigation, avionics and control required to perform all the associated operations. These elements are being consolidated and integrated within a single/unified system: CAT – the Return Capture Payload Bay, which is intended to become the key payload onboard future ADR servicer satellites. Validation of the complete capture system will be described. It comprises integrated operation of a representative servicer bay breadboard and a client LAR face developed for this purpose.
This presentation will outline design, development, manufacturing integration and validation of capture payload breadboard up to TRL4 with a clear focus on a straightforward path to fly. It will cover CAT navigation system capabilities and capture process control aspects. CAT functions are designed to work in close coordination with the servicer GNC to perform the last approach navigation (from 5m up to capture), capture, stabilization and securing of the stack for de-orbiting the failed/uncontrolled S/C.
Preliminary CAT breadboard results will be described together with an overview of its principal units: the end-effector, compatible with the MICE standard and able to auto-align both sides in the presence of navigation errors; a robotic actuator designed to reduce misalignments at capture, link both vehicles in a compliant way and relocate the servicer with respect to the client; LAR clamping devices compatible with deorbiting loads and the avionics and navigation equipment, including lighting equipment and a visual servoing system with embedded machine vision algorithms.
Keywords: capture, payload, robotics, ADR, optical navigation, clamping
