New millennium ST6 autonomous rendezvous experiment (ARX)

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the new millennium Space Technology 6 (ST6) Autonomous Rendezvous Experiment (ARX) mission and system. ARX is to be hosted as a payload on a United States Air Force research spacecraft. Launch is currently planned for the fall of 2004. The objective of the ARX experiment is to demonstrate and characterize an autonomous rendezvous system that autonomously locates and rendezvous with a passive object. For this experiment, the object is a sphere of approximately 20 cm diameter and simulates the current concept of the Mars sample return mission's Orbiting Sample (OS) canister. The spacecraft will carry the OS into orbit, and deploy it at the start of the experiment. The rendezvous system is centered on a light-weight, low-power scanning Laser Mapper (LAMP) sensor, providing high accuracy angle and range information, and a set of rendezvous guidance, navigation and control algorithms that autonomously guide the spacecraft to the desired state with respect to the OS. The experiment will execute a host of different transfer maneuvers, approach profiles and fly-around of the OS. The demonstrated rendezvous technology is applicable to all future planetary sample return missions, including the Mars sample return mission planned for the next decade. The operational experience gained from this experiment will benefit the design of future autonomous rendezvous and sample capture missions and systems where little or no 'ground-in-the-loop' control may be possible.