Author(s)

S. Matsunaga, Y. Fukushima, H. Yamamoto & Y. Ohkami

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a TugRobot Satellite, which is a space-robot for transporting materials or satellites, as a kind of in-orbit servicing satellite. The principal concept and technical issues of the TugRobot Satellite are discussed, and particular emphasis is placed on the notion of "pushing an object," which is the fundamental function involved in transporting objects. This paper deals mainly with two problems: estimation and transportation. The first is the problem of in- orbit estimation of mass properties which are often completely unknown or exhibit uncertainties to some extent. The second is the motion problem, including rotation, translation, and orbit transfer for supporting operations using only impulsive thruster forces. To show the viability of th

Keywords