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I'm the lead roboticist. Within bounds, I can answer questions.
Since the mission is designed to attach one and then leave to go to another satellite that needs servicing?
I'm the lead roboticist. Within bounds, I can answer questions.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The multi-purpose robotic manipulation makes this a bit more advanced and experimental than the dedicated MEV attachment, as useful and performant as the MEV has been. China also demonstrated robotic grappling and towing in GEO in 2021. A few other US and European experimental robotic servicing missions in the pipeline, involving both Active Debris Removal grappling and robotic arms playing with designated payloads a…
The new robot grappler arm definitely seems like an advancement on previous designs. The MEV was, as I recall, designed to mate with only a specific set of models of geostationary satellite bus and, for lack of a better term, ram a probe up its backside to grab onto it. the probe ramming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJZ3xmuom0M One of the things that people who don't pay attention to space based infrastructure fi…
I'm the lead roboticist. Within bounds, I can answer questions.
It sounds like each "MEP" (mission extension pod) once attached is its own fully autonomous satellite? How big is each MEP? Like, a mini fridge? Since the mission is designed to attach one and then leave to go to another satellite that needs servicing?
"Since the mission is designed to attach one and then leave to go to another satellite that needs servicing?"
Yes.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The new robot grappler arm definitely seems like an advancement on previous designs. The MEV was, as I recall, designed to mate with only a specific set of models of geostationary satellite bus and, for lack of a better term, ram a probe up its backside to grab onto it. the probe ramming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJZ3xmuom0M One of the things that people who don't pay attention to space based infrastructure fi…
Why would we? More importantly, why would anyone go to orbit period when you can do it with a robot.
The Apollo (and Artemis II) astronauts went through GEO inside a metal capsule going as fast as they could.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why would we? More importantly, why would anyone go to orbit period when you can do it with a robot.
You wouldn't. Ionizing radiation at GEO altitude quickly exceeds your lifetime exposure dose. The Apollo (and Artemis II) astronauts went through GEO inside a metal capsule going as fast as they could.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9916691/
from other sources If I'm reading things right, one estimate of a round trip to mars would be 1000 millisieverts, which is considerable, the maximum allowed annual dose for a US radiation industry worker is 50mSv.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Almost all the ‘servicing’ and ‘orbital debris cleanup’ robot-arm sats are funded quite heavily by military end users, because there is really no market for their stated aims and a huge market for the unstated aims - flying up to an adversary’s satellite and messing it up. Open secret in the industry.
As I understand it, the current on-orbit service functions include... orbit manipulations. Any service functions of existing equipment would depend on charge interface or communications functions that are not exposed or standardized. It will make a good season to practice kinetic adjustments until the fleets start shipping terminals for Astromech droids.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The multi-purpose robotic manipulation makes this a bit more advanced and experimental than the dedicated MEV attachment, as useful and performant as the MEV has been. China also demonstrated robotic grappling and towing in GEO in 2021. A few other US and European experimental robotic servicing missions in the pipeline, involving both Active Debris Removal grappling and robotic arms playing with designated payloads a…
The new robot grappler arm definitely seems like an advancement on previous designs. The MEV was, as I recall, designed to mate with only a specific set of models of geostationary satellite bus and, for lack of a better term, ram a probe up its backside to grab onto it. the probe ramming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJZ3xmuom0M One of the things that people who don't pay attention to space based infrastructure fi…
I'm the lead roboticist. Within bounds, I can answer questions.
sure seems like this could just as easily be used to perform on-orbit disassembly of a hostile nation's satellite?
https://spacenews.com/chinas-orbital-maneuvers-blur-the-line...