SUMO: spacecraft for the universal modification of orbits

SUMO, or Spacecraft for the Universal Modification of Orbits, is a risk reduction program for an advanced servicing spacecraft sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and executed by the Naval Center for Space Technology at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. The purpose of the program is to demonstrate the integration of machine vision, robotics, mechanisms, and autonomous control algorithms to accomplish autonomous rendezvous and grapple of a variety of interfaces traceable to future spacecraft servicing operations. The laboratory demonstration is being implemented in NRL’s Proximity Operations Test Facility, which provides precise six degree of freedom motion control for both the servicer and customer spacecraft platforms. This paper will describe the conceptual design of the SUMO advanced servicing spacecraft, a concept for a near term low-cost flight demonstration, as well as plans and status for the laboratory demonstration. In addition, component requirements for the various spacecraft subsystems will be discussed.