Docking of a space tug with upper stage debris object using deployable flexible beam

摘要

A new technique of docking of a space tug with spent non-cooperative orbital stage by using a deployable elastic probe is proposed. The developed mathematical models demonstrate the proposed method and cover primary stages of the relative motion of the space tug and debris, including docking stage and the probe retraction stage. The simulation results demonstrate decreasing the contact-impact forces resulting from the collision of the probe with the debris and increasing the probability of successful docking.