Abstract
Space-based manipulators have traditionally been tasked with robotic on-orbit servicing or assembly functions, but active debris removal has become a more urgent application. We present a much-needed tutorial review of many of the robotics aspects of active debris removal informed by activities in on-orbit servicing. We begin with a cursory review of on-orbit servicing manipulators followed by a short review on the space debris problem. Following brief consideration of the time delay problems in teleoperation, the meat of the paper explores the field of space robotics regarding the kinematics, dynamics and control of manipulators mounted onto spacecraft. The core of the issue concerns the spacecraft mounting which reacts in response to the motion of the manipulator. We favour the implementation of spacecraft attitude stabilisation to ease some of the computational issues that will become critical as increasing level of autonomy are implemented. We review issues concerned with physical manipulation and the problem of multiple arm operations. We conclude that space robotics is well-developed and sufficiently mature to tackling tasks such as active debris removal.
Highlights
Space-based manipulators have traditionally been tasked with robotic on-orbit servicing functions, but despite several decades of development since the 1980s, this has yet to come to pass
Space manipulator robotics has played a significant role on the International Space Station (ISS), which has installed on it three manipulator systems: the Canadian Mobile Servicing System (MSS), the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), and the European Robotic Arm (ERA) [5]
We have reviewed many of the technological aspects of space robotics that have direct implications for active debris removal in a tutorial fashion
Summary
Space-based manipulators have traditionally been tasked with robotic on-orbit servicing functions, but despite several decades of development since the 1980s, this has yet to come to pass. Much of the technological development in space robotics over this period is directly applicable to this new task and given that the more challenging aspects of on-orbit servicing are not required (namely, servicing tasks), the prospect of active debris removal can be met. Dynamic and control issues are identical—this includes the requirement for grappling the target and passivating it. This will require robotic clamps or grippers. Our interest here is to provide a schematic of on-orbit servicing robotics that can be applied to space debris removal. Some excellent more modern reviews include [2] which highlights challenges in servicing non-cooperative satellites and [3,4] which emphasise kinematic and dynamic issues. Rather than aiming at comprehension, our tutorial review should increase the appeal of the paper to a wider audience
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