Erectable Truss Hardware for Large Space Structures

The KATLOK connector is a truss structure connector that was designed to be compatible with manual assembly by an astronaut in an extra-vehicular activity (EVA) suit, telerobotic assembly techniques and autonomous robotic assembly techniques. The KATLOK connector was designed to maintain the structural characteristics of the precision segmented reflector test-bed (PSR-TB) connector developed at NASA Langley Research Center while incorporating features compatible with robotic assembly techniques. Results of telerobotic assembly tests show the KATLOK connector provides more predictable and reliable assembly and disassembly techniques than the PSR-TB connector with task completion times comparable to the PSR-TB times. The results of load-displacement tests of the two connector designs were indistinguishable.