Abstract

With the emergence of the space servicing sector, along with the return of manned missions beyond low earth orbit, there is a need for quick, efficient, and most of all, safe Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO). More than that, the next big step forward may be manufacturing in space, which will involve large swarms of spacecraft cooperating in close proximity to each other, all subjected to the same laws of orbital mechanics. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge about how to safely operate a swarm of spacecraft in close quarters in a dynamically changing environment (ie, a “space construction site”), without creating a high risk of collision and potential debris creation. Satellite swarms are groups of spacecraft that operate cooperatively to perform a common task or goal in orbit. Examples of this are in-space assembly of structures, manufacturing, cooperative sensing platforms, on-orbit servicing, asteroid mining, etc. Swarms would be operating in relative-motion orbits, working around a common point in space, within a few kilometers of each other. Such swarms would share information between each member of the swarm, allowing them to have a shared situational awareness of the entire mission. Although not all members of the swarm may have the same functionality, ie some may be communication nodes, others may have robotic arms, and yet others may have scanning cameras and LIDARs, it is expected that they will all have propulsive capabilities to allow them to maneuver in relative orbits around each other and/or a common target. Once a set of orbits are created for a swarm to perform is operations, primarily done by taking into …

Date

2021

Authors

Rahul Rughani, David A Barnhart

Journal

16th International Conference on Space Operations, Cape Town, South Africa-3-5 May