Standard Interfaces: A Key to Future Space Infrastructure! Example iSSI: Supporting the In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing National Strategy

Abstract

On-orbit servicing (OOS) has gained momentum at several levels over the last couple of years. Especially the successful commercial MEV life extension service missions by Northrop Grumman’s Space Logistics built confidence amongst stakeholders across the board. With CONFERS - An industry-led initiative that identifies and leverages best practices from government and industry for rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) and on-orbit satellite servicing (OOS) operations - meanwhile more than 60 companies bought into the OOS concept and beyond towards a sustainable, serviceable and flexible space infrastructure. And in parallel space agencies and academia worldwide work on related concepts and approaches and beyond. The (US)In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing National Strategy released in spring 2022 put all this in a larger context paving the way for next-gen future space infrastructure and associated logistics. In this context especially modular concepts and standardization of space infrastructure elements have been investigated for decades and are now gradually becoming a reality as the CubeSat revolution has shown in a first step. Standard interfaces are considered instrumental enablers for new dimensions of flexibility and entirely new space systems, operations and business. New standards are intended to provide the foundation for a new commercial repertoire of robust space-based capabilities and a future in-space economy. Besides Safety, cost and flexibility will become key to allow for adjustments and repurposing, staged approaches, etc. and economy of scale effects as routine operations suggest. And, NewSpace will drive this with new space approaches. This paper introduces the fully modular coupling kit iSSI by iBOSS and its potential for enabling and serving manifold NewSpace challenges in the domain of OOS, OOA and OOM, as well as opening the door for novel modular architectures offering more flexibility for systems in space and higher efficiency for the Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) process on ground. The iSSI scope and characteristics will be presented in detail, followed by an overview of its performance in the course of an IOD mission, called ISSI Flight Qualification Experiment (iSSI-FQE), and some pointers on next-gen space system architectures and related possibilities. The authors and partners involved have longstanding experiences, background and visibility in the global commercial space arena with involvement in multiple innovative new business endeavors comprising dedicated expertise in space commercialization and innovation, new business creation and finance, international partnerships, commercial prototyping and series manufacturing.