Design of a Modular Mobile Inspection and Maintenance Robot for an Orbital Servicing Hub

TL;DR

This paper presents the design and ongoing development of a modular, autonomous mobile inspection robot for space station hubs, equipped with various sensors and tools for inspection and maintenance tasks.

Contribution

It introduces a novel modular mobile inspection module (MIM) that can be carried by walking manipulators and used for autonomous space station servicing.

Findings

Design of a modular, sensor-equipped inspection robot

Implementation of a system for autonomous on-orbit inspection

Testing of sensor integration and mobility features ongoing

Abstract

The use of autonomous robots in space is an essential part of the "New Space" commercial ecosystem of assembly and re-use of space hardware components in Earth orbit and beyond. The STARFAB project aims to create a ground demonstration of an orbital automated warehouse as a hub for sustainable commercial operations and servicing. A critical part of this fully-autonomous robotic facility will be the capability to monitor, inspect, and assess the condition of both the components stored in the warehouse, and the STARFAB facility itself. This paper introduces ongoing work on the STARFAB Mobile Inspection Module (MIM). The MIM uses Standard Interconnects (SI) so that it can be carried by Walking Manipulators (WM) as an independently-mobile robot, and multiple MIMs can be stored and retrieved as needed for operations on STARFAB. The MIM carries high-resolution cameras, a 3D profilometer, and a thermal imaging sensor, with the capability to add other modular sensors. A grasping tool and torque wrench are stored within the modular body for use by an attached WM for maintenance operations. Implementation and testing is still ongoing at the time of writing. This paper details the concept of operations for the MIM as an on-orbit autonomous inspection and maintenance system, the mechanical and electronic design of the MIM, and the sensors package used for non-destructive testing.