Project description
Hardware and software to allow autonomous servicing tasks in orbit
At the convergence of safer and more reliable space usage, servicing missions are being matured in Europe to provide a new approach to satellite design and life-cycle management, along with a new range of services once in orbit. The EU-funded EROSS project aims to demonstrate on-ground some of the key European solutions for the involved "Servicer" and "Client" vehicles, applicable to both low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary equatorial orbit (GEO). This initiative will provide a broad variety of affordable and safe orbital services by evaluating and validating the key technological building blocks of the Servicer spacecraft to perform rendezvous, capture, grasping, berthing, and manipulation of a collaborative Client satellite during the related servicing operations. In this respect, the robotised space technologies will lead to more autonomy and safety when handling these services on-board, with reduced supervision from ground.
Objective
EROSS (European Robotic Orbital Support Services) objective is to demonstrate the European solutions for the Servicers and the Serviced LEO/GEO satellites, enabling a large range of efficient and safe orbital support services. The project will assess and demonstrate the capability of the on-orbit servicing spacecraft (chaser) to perform rendezvous, capturing, grasping, berthing and manipulating of a collaborative client satellite (target) provisioned for servicing operations including refuelling and payload transfer/replacement.
EROSS embeds key European Technologies by leveraging on actuators, sensors, software frameworks and algorithms developed in previous European Projects. EROSS boosts the maturity of these key building blocks and increases their functionalities and performance in a coherent work programme targeting fast and practical deployment of the developed solutions in space. The consortium went into great details in the EROSS concept and the technical operational plan to manage perfectly the risks and complexity of development of such a large system.
Following EROSS, TAS plans to commercialize its Multi-Purpose Servicing Chaser in 2021 for the LEO&GEO servicing business, pulling with him the project’s technology providers. Besides, most partners will address other short-term space/non-space markets, such as Space Exploration & Science and factory automation (sensors, robots).
The project success relies on a highly skilled and experienced consortium involving all the leaders of previous SRC Operational Grants. EROSS involves 11 partners from 8 countries over 24 months and a budget of 3,9M€. As Operational Grant n°7, EROSS will be part of the Strategic Research Cluster (SRC) on Space Robotics.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyspace exploration
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringastronautical engineeringspacecraft
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringrobotics
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
31100 Toulouse
France