Design of Universal Docking Port for Modular On-Orbit Servicing Robots

摘要

The modular spacecraft can be defined as a spacecraft system constructed from a set of standardized and reconfigurable components with universal docking mechanism and interface that allow transfer of mechanical forces and moments, electrical power, and communication throughout the sub-system. In this paper, we designed a Universal Docking Port (UDP) for micro modular on-orbit servicing spacecraft. Moreover, we also explained the details of functions and described the mainly working steps of UDP in this paper. The inverse-symmetric design made UDP with universal capability and the guided holes brought large docking tolerances to UDP. Furthermore, UDP could achieve the wide range, long distance, multi-attitudes and soft capturing by the separate capturing head, multi-bar system and rotatable underpan. Therefore, for a set of independent modules, The UDP could physically connect the all of them together rigid, safe and flexible.