Rapid Modular Simulation Methods for Capture and Post-Capture Spacecraft Dynamics

Recent advancements in spacecraft technology have opened the door to robotic in-space refueling, relocation, debris disposal, and more. The simulation of spacecraft dynamics, especially for the challenging rendezvous, proximity operation, and capture (RPOC) maneuvers common to many in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) mission architectures, is a critical underlying technology for both mission design and verification and validation. Existing RPOC demonstrator missions have developed servicers designed to exclusively capture a single target, but current methods for dynamical simulation of the capture and post-capture phases of RPOC lack the speed and modularity to support future missions with multiple changing targets. If ISAM is to be successful, a new paradigm for modeling spacecraft capture and post-capture dynamics must be developed that is rapid to simulate and robust to changes in a mission's architecture and uncertainties. I propose the use of multi-point contact dynamics for modelling spacecraft capture combined with a constrained dynamics approach to model post-capture spacecraft to enable fast and continuous dynamical simulation of spacecraft RPOC. At the mission design phase, these contact dynamics and constrained dynamics methods enable designers to modularly iterate their servicer designs without requiring them to constantly update and run time intensive out-of-the- loop finite element analyses (FEA), derive unique composite spacecraft models, or manufacture corresponding hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) components. At the mission operations phase, this enables operators to evaluate multiple capture target options within the same simulation, as well as quickly run updated analyses with new information from an inspection maneuver.

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