Flight Test of Synchronized Position Hold Engage Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Integrated Navigation Sensor Platform for Extra-Vehicular Activity Control and Testing (INSPECT)

The SPHERES INSPECT (Integrated Navigation Sensor Platform for EVA Control and Testing) program aims to augment the existing three SPHERES satellites on the ISS with additional sensors and actuators to take advantage of the environment within the station to provide risk reduction for a future IVA/EVA system capable of inspection, navigation, and health monitoring. The INSPECT program hardware includes an optical rangefinder, thermographic camera, optical vision system, and control moment gyroscopes (CMGs). These elements are currently being added to the SPHERES facility to demonstrate their individual and integrated functionality via 2D ground testbeds. However, full 6DOF motion and dynamics are needed to refine and implement the control laws and sensor meshing techniques necessary to realize the technologies fully prior to more expensive and risky ISS activities.
2015 Paper: INSPECT Sensor Suite for On-Orbit Inspection and Characterization with Extravehicular Activity Spacecraft.

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As space missions call for even more distant trajectories, humans will be less present, increasing the need for robotic, autonomous missions architectures which will rely solely on robotic inspection, navigation and characterization. This sensor-suite technology allows for just such activities to occur simultaneously, which will benefit future NASA missions. Future Customers Additionally, any major control implementation issues can be addressed between flights to maximize the utility of the parabolic campaigns. These solutions can then be applied to the ISS system to prevent similar issues and loss of ISS time. This process has extensive heritage, since both the RINGS (Resonant Inductive Near- field Generation System) and SPHERES satellites themselves underwent the same cycle of ground, parabolic flight, and ISS testing to develop the on-orbit SPHERES facility.

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