Laboratory Experimentation of Autonomous Spacecraft Approach and Docking to a Collaborative Target

Abstract

A new laboratory test bed is introduced that enables the hardware-in-the-loop simulation of the autonomous approach and docking of a chaser spacecraft to a target spacecraft of similar mass. The test bed consists of a chaser spacecraft and a target spacecraft simulator floating via air pads on a flat floor. The prototype docking interface mechanism of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Orbital Express mission is integrated on the spacecraft simulators. Relative navigation of the chaser spacecraft is obtained by fusing the measurements from a single-camera vision sensor and an inertial measurement unit, through Kalman filters. The target is collaborative in the sense that a pattern of three infrared light emitting diodes is mounted on it as reference for the relative navigation. Eight cold-gas on-off thrusters are used for the translation of the chaser vehicle. They are commanded using a nonlinear control algorithm based on Schmitt triggers. Furthermore, a reaction wheel is used for the vehicle rotation with a proportional derivative linear control. Experimental results are presented of both an autonomous proximity maneuver and an autonomous docking of the chaser simulator to the nonfloating target.

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“…It has several benefits, such as reducing life-cycle cost, enhancing spacecraft capabilities, extending spacecraft orbital lifetime, improving mission flexibility, and so forth. In the past decades, numerous studies about its key technology have been done including on-orbit repair, maintenance, assembly, module exchange, upgrade and refueling etc [3][4][5][6][7] . Onthe-ground experimentation is an important manner with low risk and cost for demonstrating and validating key technologies of on-orbit servicing, which can simplify requirements of the special space environment, and also can be utilized for education and training [6][7] .…”