Research/ ORBITAL ROBOTICS
Autonomous RPOD for Arbitrarily Configured Spacecraft with Anomaly Detection
Matthew M Wittal, Benjamin Asher, Morad Nazari
Autonomy, Task Planning & OperationsNTRS keyword: Anomaly Detection · Rendezvous, Proximity Ops & DockingNTRS keyword: Docking
NTRSAstrodynamics · Cybernetics, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics · Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command and Tracking · Spacecraft Design, Testing and Performance
Autonomous GN&C is a necessary component for a sustainable deep-space logistics architecture. The challenges for establishing robust autonomy are numerous, from state uncertainty, to anomaly detection and recovery. In this work, previous work investigating autonomous GN&C for arbitrary thruster configurations and mass properties is expanded to include state uncertainty and anomaly detection. Logistics vehicles with off-center-of-mass thruster configurations and in the presence of large but realistic state uncertainties are simulated in a Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking scenario. Furthermore, stuck and non-functional thrusters are simulated, demonstrating the vehicle's ability to identify and overcome thruster anomalies. The simulations demonstrate that even with these realistic ambiguities, the vehicle is able to converge to the desired pose.