Ground micro-gravity emulation system for space robot capturing the target satellite

Abstract

Ground micro-gravity verification and test is vitally important for space robot. This paper mainly introduces a kind of ground micro-gravity emulation system, which can be used to verify the process of space robot capturing the target satellite in the 3-dimensional space. The system adopts the hardware-in-the-loop simulation, which mainly includes the real hardware system and the simulation software. The dynamics of space robot and the target satellite are modelled, respectively. The motion emulation of the servicing satellite base and that of the target satellite are realized by the dynamics simulation and the motion of two industrial robots. Then, the gravity compensation methods of force sensor for space manipulator and the target satellite are described, respectively. Finally, the ground micro-gravity emulation system is built and the base motion emulation of space manipulator capturing the target satellite is realized.