Design of Docking Interfaces for On-Orbit Assembly of Large Structures in Space

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Robotics and Automation
• Space Systems Engineering

Background:

• On-orbit assembly of super-large space structures presents significant challenges.
• Existing docking interfaces may not adequately address the complexities of large-scale space construction.
• A need exists for robust and adaptable docking solutions for space missions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a new androgynous docking interface for space missions.
• To enhance the capabilities of on-orbit assembly and module docking.
• To address the challenges posed by the complexity and scale of space structures.

Main Methods:

• Detailed geometric design of an androgynous docking interface with a conical guided symmetric body (90° symmetry).
• Structural design using UG modeling and dynamic simulation with Recur Dyn to analyze displacement.
• Experimental verification of misalignment tolerance and lens splicing capabilities.

Main Results:

• The androgynous docking interface demonstrates high connection strength and a compact structure.
• Dynamic simulations provided displacement coordinate curves for the docking port.
• Experimental validation confirmed high misalignment tolerance, with successful connections within 23.5 mm translation and 24° tilt tolerances.

Conclusions:

• The proposed androgynous docking interface offers significant advantages for space missions.
• The design facilitates robust module docking and on-orbit assembly of large space structures.
• This research provides a valuable reference for future space mission design and operations.