Method and associated apparatus for capturing, servicing and de-orbiting earth satellites using ...

48 Pages·2008·3.01 MB·English

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20080009516 2019-03-30T17:26:56+00:00Z
(12) United States Patent (io) Patent No.: US 7,240,879 B1
Cepollina et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jul. 10,2007
(54) METHOD AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS Primary Examiner-Timothy D. Collins
FOR CAPTURING, SERVICING AND (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bryan A. Geurts
DE-ORBITING EARTH SATELLITES USING
ROBOTICS (57) ABSTRACT
(75) Inventors: Frank J. Cepollina, Annandale, MD
(US); Richard D. Burns, Annapolis,
MD (US); Jill M. Holz, Laurel, MD This invention is a method and supporting apparatus for
(US); James E. Corbo, Columbia, MD autonomously capturing, servicing and de-orbiting a free-
(US); Nicholas M. Jedhrich, flying spacecraft, such as a satellite, using robotics. The
Annapolis, MD (US) capture of the spacecraft includes the steps of optically
seeking and ranging the satellite using LIDAR; and match-
(73) Assignee: United States of America as
represented by the Administration of ing tumble rates, rendezvousing and berthing with the sat-
the National Aeronautics and Space ellite. Servicing of the spacecraft may be done using super-
vised autonomy, which is allowing a robot to execute a
Administration, Washington, DC (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this sequence of instructions without intervention from a remote
human-occupied location. These instructions may be pack-
patent is extended or adjusted under 35
aged at the remote station in a script and uplinked to the
U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
robot for execution upon remote command giving authority
(21) Appl. No.: 11/124,592 to proceed. Alternately, the instructions may be generated by
Artificial Intelligence (AI) logic onboard the robot. In either
(22) Filed: May 6, 2005
case, the remote operator maintains the ability to abort an
instruction or script at any time, as well as the ability to
(51) Int. C1.
intervene using manual override to teleoperate the robot.
B64G 1/64 (2006.01)
(52) U.S. C1. ................................. 244/172.5; 2441158.6
In one embodiment, a vehicle used for carrying out the
(58) Field of Classification Search ............. 2441158.6,
method of this invention comprises an ejection module,
2441172.4, 172.5, 158.4
which includes the robot, and a de-orbit module. Once
See application file for complete search history.
servicing is completed by the robot, the ejection module
(56) References Cited separates from the de-orbit module, leaving the de-orbit
module attached to the satellite for de-orbiting the same at
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS a future time. Upon separation, the ejection module can
4,298,178 A * 11/1981 Hujsak .................... 244/172.5 either de-orbit itself or rendezvous with another satellite for
5,299,764 A * 4/1994 Scott ....................... 244/172.5 servicing. The ability to de-orbit a spacecraft further allows
6,484,973 B1 * 11/2002 Scott ....................... 244/172.5 the opportunity to direct the landing of the spent satellite in
6,945,500 B2 * 9/2005 Wingo ..................... 244/159.4 a safe location away from population centers, such as the
2002/0179775 A1 * 12/2002 Turner .................... 244/158 R ocean.
2004/0026571 A1 * 2/2004 Scott ...................... 244/158 R
* cited by examiner 27 Claims, 27 Drawing Sheets
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Spacecraft
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U.S. Patent Jul. 10,2007 Sheet 4 of 27 US 7,240,879 B1
Hubble Space Telescope Missions
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U.S. Patent Jul. 10,2007 Sheet 6 of 27 US 7,240,879 B1
2 or more Functional Gyros
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Availability of HST Gyros from 7/1/03
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U.S. Patent
Jul. 10,2007 Sheet 8 of 27 US 7,240,879 B1
FIG. 8
U.S. Patent Jul. 10,2007 Sheet 9 of 27 US 7,240,879 B1
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