Ground Control Concept for On-Orbit Robotic Maintenance Operations on the International Space Station

Abstract

The International Space Station (ISS), one of mankind's greatest collective achievements, is a unique international space research facility that orbits the Earth at an altitude of about four hundred kilometers. Keeping the station fully functional requires a substantial portion of crew time. Early estimates indicate that the crew may spend up to 60% of their time on overall station maintenance tasks, which is time that could be devoted to science research.