Passive CubeSats for remote inspection of space vehicles

Analytical Maneuver Library for Remote Inspection with an Underactuated Spacecraft

“…Different methodologies for remote inspection can be compared based on their ability to provide coverage of the exterior surface of the target object, the spatial resolution which can be achieved, as well as their overall risk [1]. Of all the available methods, inspection with a free-flying small spacecraft is a highly attractive option due to its ability to provide good coverage and spatial resolution while not incurring significant risk in terms of cost or human involvement.…”

“…At the most basic level, remote inspection with a free-flying small spacecraft can be conducted with a simple micro-spacecraft designed for short-term inspection of a target vehicle. Passive Cube-Sats for spacecraft inspection have been proposed where the spacecraft contains no actuation system [1]. This method minimizes many of the risks associated with free-flying spacecraft, but cannot provide good coverage of the entire exterior of the target without requiring the use of multiple inspector spacecraft, has limited inspection time before it drifts too far away from the target, and is not applicable to uncooperative targets such as debris.…”

“…A comparison of the maneuvering methods developed for actual spacecraft, such as [1][2][3][4], and methods developed in theory, such as [14][15][16][17][18], show that a technology gap exists between the two.…”