Supporting proximity operations by direct measurements of relative Servicer-Client state using resolved imagery
- Paper ID
87330
- DOI
- author
- company
ASTROSCALE JAPAN Inc.; HEO Robotics; Astroscale Holdings
- country
Japan
- year
2024
- abstract
Performing active debris removal (ADR) necessitates approaching and manoeuvring within a few metres from derelict objects. ADR Clients can only be tracked with external sensors, which are considerably less accurate than e.g. on-board GPS receivers. Furthermore, ground-based tracking of ADR Clients can be disrupted by the presence of another craft, the Servicer, in the proximity of the Client by making the automated measurement association algorithms unable to distinguish between the two objects. To overcome these obstacles, ADR spacecraft carry suites of rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) sensors, which can estimate the relative position and attitude between the Servicer and the Client. To validate the RPO sensors of its next mission, Astroscale has established a collaboration with HEO, who are able to acquire resolved imagery of spacecraft using on-orbit sensors. Relative position between the ADRAS-J Servicer and Client was determined based on HEO images and compared to the measurements obtained with ADRAS-J RPO sensors. This paper describes the methodology used in this process as well as presents the results obtained during the ADRAS-J mission in Q1 and Q2 2024. The benefits of using resolved imagery for relative navigation are discussed, and the future development of this SSA technique outlined.