Design engineering a walking robotic manipulator for in-space assembly missions.

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Space Engineering
• In-space servicing and assembly
• Advanced robotic systems for space infrastructure development

Background:

• Growing demand for orbital infrastructure necessitates advanced in-space services.
• Current space missions require more extensive orbital infrastructures beyond the International Space Station.
• In-orbit assembly of large-scale assets like telescopes presents significant engineering challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an innovative dexterous walking robotic system for in-orbit assembly.
• To address the challenges of assembling modular, high-value assets in space.
• To present a use case for assembling a 25m Large Aperture Space Telescope (LAST).

Main Methods:

• Design and sizing of an End-over-end Walking Robot (E-Walker).
• Structural finite element analysis and modal analysis for space and terrestrial applications.
• Development of a mission concept of operations using dual E-Walkers for modular assembly.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated feasibility of the E-Walker design through structural and modal analysis.
• Validation of a scaled-down prototype for enhanced workspace robotic capabilities.
• Simulated results confirm the efficacy of dual E-Walkers for complex in-situ assembly via task-sharing.

Conclusions:

• The End-over-end Walking Robot (E-Walker) is a viable solution for in-orbit assembly tasks.
• The proposed dual E-Walker system can effectively perform complex space construction operations.
• This technology supports the development of future advanced space infrastructures and deep-space astronomy.