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PLADform — On-Orbit Autonomous Assembly
Summary
Space structures nowadays are limited by the payload capabilities of launch vehicles. Thus, in-space assembly is crucial to support space structures of the future, such as large-aperture telescopes. We developed a concept for an on-orbit manufacturing and assembly platform with a swarm of autonomous robots to enable large-scale spacecraft manufacturing while using economies of scale to drive down time and cost. This will accelerate research in deep space by enabling new types of structures while optimizing economic viability.
How We Addressed This Challenge
Our project provides a concept solution to support larger spacecraft and missions which exceed the payload capabilities of a single launch vehicle. It fits in the OSAM (On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing) effort of NASA, but imagines a large-scale, repeatable construction platform with autonomous manufacturing robots to leverage effects of economies of scale. Therefore, it describes the synergy of a whole system with streamlined logistics. Despite the complexity, an initial prototype can be set up in low earth orbit and expanded as demand grows thanks to a modular design. A proven design can be exported to other orbits around the moon and beyond.
How We Developed This Project
The first step was researching into current efforts undertaken by NASA and fellow space agencies in on-orbit manufacturing and assembly. We noticed that there is a high demand for supporting larger missions, especially for deep space research and exploration. During our research, we found NASA's idea of setting up a persistent platform in low earth orbit as construction ground, but did not find any specification on autonomous manufacturing agents. Furthermore, we found Tethers Unlimited's SpiderFab manufacturing robot, which does not seem to be reused and only be deployed in small numbers. This inspired us to create a central platform which houses a swarm of autonomous manufacturing robots that can be shared between projects and therefore complete projects in a shorter time while saving cost.
How We Used Space Agency Data in This Project
Our project was not data-based, but we used NASA pages to find problems (building large scale space structures: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/technology/in-space-assembly/) and to look into current efforts in OSAM (https://nexis.gsfc.nasa.gov/osam/index.html)
Data & Resources
- https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2013-5509
- https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2016-2163
- https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/132841508.pdf
- https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/technology/in-space-assembly/
- https://nexis.gsfc.nasa.gov/osam/index.html