A Concept of Robotic System with Force-Controlled Manipulators for On-Orbit Servicing Spacecraft

To enhance longevity and safety of unmanned spacecraft, especially on high orbits including geostationary ones, it is thought suitable to exploit on-orbit servicing (OOS) spacecraft (servicers) equipped with manipulation system. The employment of the manipulator is by the requirement for fine manipulation in tasks such as refueling, equipment replacement, orbit correction and maintenance tasks. The key feature of a manipulator to fulfill this list is the force-torque feedback. This paper describes a general concept of the manipulator to carry out the on-orbit servicing tasks along with the common and kinematic description of a ground prototype. A brief look at graphical user interface designed for testing purposes is represented. A ground validation facility is described and the description of series of performed tests is included along with conclusions.