Advanced opto-electronical Sensors for autonomous Rendezvous-/Docking and Proximity Operations in Space

Abstract

MBB has started experimental work on three types of candidate optical sensors for Rendezvous & Docking (RVD) tasks, active laser diode radars, CCD cameras and position detector sensors plus combination of these. The result obtained until now with a test lab (including motion simulation) make each of them a promising candidate for this kind of applications for different range regimes. These sensors are conceived as multi-sensor head systems together with a central processing unit to provide applicability beyond docking of space platforms. A description of the sensors, their technical development requirements, achieved performance results and combination packages plus a proposal for in -orbit test missions is given in the paper.