Research on Space Environment Preservation System with Mechanism of Maintaining Satellites and Orbit

This paper presents the new concept of a robot-oriented space system called “Space Environment Preservation System” that operates to maintain the satellite constellation and orbit by robots, and presents the technology development. The orbit maintenance vehicle requires the robots to assemble and capture the satellite, to diagnose, repair or replace malfunctioning units of the satellite in orbit, and to collect and carry the satellites out of the orbit at the end of life span. In order to realize the system, a new type of modularized satellite that can be easily assembled, maintained and disassembled by the robot is proposed. We developed the ground model of such a satellite, and the orbit maintenance vehicle that has the multifunctions of in-orbit satellite assembling factory and servicing station, as well as satellite capturing and disassembling. These functions were demonstrated in the simulated space condition.