Abstract
Considering the development of various structures required in current and future space projects like the International Space Station, and lunar and planetary explorations, the development support of systems performing relative motion (rendezvous & docking), manipulations (robotics), assembly operations and inspections, becomes more and more important. Flat-floor facilities are considered to be very suitable for the purpose of development and test support of such structures by creating simulated zero-gravity conditions. A feasibility study on specification and design of a reference flat-floor facility has been performed, based on existing technologies. An extensive literature survey revealed the presence of many different types of facilities mainly built for different purposes. Based on these results the application of flat-floor facilities in support of the different phases in the development of space constructions has been investigated. This paper focuses on the results of the literature survey. In addition, a preliminary design for a reference flat-floor facility is proposed, based on the three major components for such a facility: floor construction, bearing construction, and support mechanisms. The feasibility of realising the required low friction coefficient of airbearings for heavy payloads needs further investigation.
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