An on-the-ground simulator of autonomous docking and spacecraft servicing for research and education

On-orbit spacecraft servicing has become a realistic and promising space mission. The Autonomous Docking and Spacecraft Servicing Simulator (AUDASS), introduced in this paper, is a research facility for on-the-ground testing of proximity navigation, docking and satellite servicing technologies and for the experimental verification of dynamics models and control laws. Moreover, the test-bed constitutes a valuable educational tool for the university students directly involved in its design and exploitation. This paper presents the current status of the on-going development of the AUDASS simulator and reports the results of some preliminary tests. The AUDASS system consists of two independent robotic vehicles, a chaser and a target. The vehicles float, via air pads, on a polished granite table providing a frictionless support for the simulation in 2-D of the micro-gravity dynamics. The introduction of the paper provides a wide overview of the on-going research efforts to make autonomous docking and servicing of spacecraft a reality.