Digital transformation and orbit pollution are deeply changing the satellite business model by creating new needs for spacecraft connectivity and modularity at low cost which implies strong changes in all engineering domains.
The traditional on-orbit satellite communication market (digital TV broadcasting) based on geostationary solutions will be overcome in time by services able to offer a bandwidth to each individual connected, therefore new satellites architectures in different orbits (such as LEO constellations) are being considered. On top of that, the end-of-life strategy of nowadays spacecraft also pushes towards cleaner design, operations and disposal of these vehicles. Modular architectures, prepared for on–orbit servicing, would be required to cope with rapidly changing market trends and emerging debris regulations. A robotic servicing capability to change payloads , refuel and also repair the satellites, would result in global upload mass reduction with the twofold advantage of both reducing costs and improving space sustainability. In the short term, while advanced robotic capabilities are being developed, specific markets such as the Telecom satellites tugging for life extensions are being pursued with the purpose to finance further development.
The advent of new LEO mega-constellations will crowd even more the LEO zone which is already the most critical for debris population. 10 % of failed satellites has been estimated within large constellations, unable then to dispose themselves autonomously. Therefore, the need of actively deorbiting them will be mandatory in order to avoid catastrophic risks and it is expected that space regulation for disposal will be modified in this sense in the years to come.
The development of the servicing (robotic) capability, and of the technologies required, will also become an enabler for future Deep Space Exploration phases, either to reach the Moon, Mars or Asteroids, where the need of assembling /disassembling infrastructures on-orbit has already been recognized by many studies. In the long term, beside institutional Exploration programs, advanced robotic servicing may also be required by commercial enterprises for construction of On-Orbit Factories and infrastructures for space maintenance, space tourism, and also for Asteroids mining and exploitation.
As the space business is experiencing a change of paradigm, there is clearly a need to develop technologies in order to do space robotic operations for the future missions. It is important to put EROSS into his context and understand really why this project is being done therefore clearly identify what EROSS purpose be and what will EROSS demonstrate for the future of servicing missions.
In this sense, EROSS has developed and boosted the maturity of key robotic building blocks in Europe, and has demonstrated the successful integration of these key technologies to offer an efficient and safe commercial service to operational satellites.
