The OOS-SIM: An on-ground simulation facility for on-orbit servicing robotic operations

TLDR

On‑orbit servicing involves launching a servicer spacecraft into the orbit of a target spacecraft and navigating to it with a robotic arm to manipulate the client. This work presents a new robotic experimental facility built at the DLR to support development and validation of orbital servicing robots. The facility reproduces close‑proximity scenarios under realistic 3‑D orbital dynamics and features a fully actuated macro‑micro system with multiple sensors, enabling performance analyses of simulated space‑environment volume. Analyses show the facility can simulate a substantial volume of space environment, demonstrating its performance capabilities.

Abstract

On-orbit servicing involves a new class of space missions in which a servicer spacecraft is launched into the orbit of a target spacecraft, the client. The servicer navigates to the client with the intention of manipulating it, using a robotic arm. Within this framework, this work presents a new robotic experimental facility which was recently built at the DLR to support the development and experimental validation of such orbital servicing robots. The facility allows reproducing a close-proximity scenario under realistic three-dimensional orbital dynamics conditions. Its salient features are described here, to include a fully actuated macro-micro system with multiple sensing capabilities, and analyses on its performance including the amount of space environment volume that can be simulated.