Small Dexterous Space Manipulators: Technology Development and Mission Applications

Abstract

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-4364.vid Dymaflight is a highly capable modular manipulator with applicability to a wide variety of future missions. This includes smallsat-based satellite servicing, internal and external repair and logistics management for orbital and surface habitats and stations, sample collection and curation on small to medium autonomous rovers, and on-orbit assembly tasks. Dymaflight is being developed and tested as an extension of the previous DYMAFLEX concept in a flight-ready (hence "flight") higher-DOF form. Conforming to NASA’s 89 N/27 Nm (20 lb/20 ft-lb) satellite servicing force/torque requirements in a more capable package, a new 7-DOF manipulator was designed with actuator design heritage from DYMAFLEX. The current version of the manipulator reaches 1.1 m from base to tip with an 8 cm housing radius on average, configured in a YPRPRPR (Y = yaw, P = pitch, R = roll) kinematic configuration with an additional dedicated tool drive, similar to traditional space-faring serial manipulators. The manipulator is designed to be ready-to-fly to continue towards qualification as a spaceflight manipulator. The original joint design for DYMAFLEX was adapted to a flight-capable form factor and reached TRL-6 through two suborbital flights in 2018 and 2019 as part of the NASA RockSat-X program, and has been integrated as the tool drive system and mechanical inspiration for the dexterous joints in the new manipulator. The paper will provide an overview of the design of the prototype Dymaflight manipulator and further discussion of mission applications for this new robotic system.