WASHINGTON \u2014 Two space companies have collaborated to demonstrate automated close approaches between spacecraft using a single camera as the primary sensor.<\/p>\n
Starfish Space and Impulse Space announced Dec. 15 the successful completion of what they called the Remora mission. During the mission, a Mira spacecraft from Impulse\u2019s LEO Express 2 mission maneuvered to within about 1,250 meters of another Mira spacecraft from the company\u2019s LEO Express 1 mission, using a camera and onboard computing system provided by Starfish.<\/p>\n
What distinguished the demonstration from previous rendezvous and proximity operations, or RPO, tests was that the approaching Mira relied on only a single camera to close in on the other spacecraft. The camera fed images into a computer running Starfish\u2019s CETACEAN and CEPHALOPOD software, which generated navigation data and maneuver commands for the LEO Express 2 vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur industry has traditionally relied on more complex hardware\u201d for RPO activities, said Trevor Bennett, co-founder of Starfish Space, in an interview. That typically includes advanced cameras and additional sensors such as lidar. By contrast, Remora used an off-the-shelf camera developed by TRL11 for spaceflight applications.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we were able to show that off-the-shelf cameras are sufficient, that we don\u2019t need a bunch of extra hardware to do some of these types of missions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The images were processed by Starfish\u2019s software to determine the relative position of the two spacecraft and calculate the maneuvers needed to close the distance. \u201cEvery action that we take is irreversible because we have consumed propellant on orbit, so we have to make meaningful decisions along the way,\u201d Bennett said.<\/p>\n
Maneuvering the LEO Express 2 spacecraft to within about 1,250 meters met the mission\u2019s objectives. \u201cOur intention was to get to around the kilometer mark,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cThe core pieces that we needed to demonstrate were all proven by that roughly 1,200-meter close approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Remora mission was arranged quickly. Starfish approached Impulse about a year before the launch of LEO Express 2 in January.<\/p>\n
\u201cRPO is a core capability needed across a wide range of commercial and defense applications,\u201d said Eric Romo, president and chief operating officer of Impulse Space. \u201cThey were ready with their technology, and we were excited about the opportunity to demonstrate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The RPO demonstration took place after LEO Express 2 completed its primary missions for other customers. The spacecraft maneuvered into the general vicinity of LEO Express 1, after which Starfish took operational control to conduct the close approach. The companies said the activity occurred in the fall but did not provide a more specific timeline.<\/p>\n
Both companies described the mission as a success. \u201cThis was a great proof point that we can take in signals from external sensors and guide Mira with them,\u201d Romo said. \u201cThis opens up a number of different opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bennett said the technology could support even closer approaches. \u201cI would argue the closest distance could potentially be zero, all the way to docking,\u201d he said, with the addition of one or more cameras. \u201cThat\u2019s still very much within the core thesis of using visual cameras.\u201d<\/p>\n
Remora was a one-time demonstration, although Romo said Impulse would be open to future collaborations with Starfish. He added that the mission also highlighted the maneuverability of the Mira spacecraft. \u201cThis is a key unlock for different use cases in space,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For Starfish, the test helps validate software that will be used in future missions. The company is currently operating Otter Pup 2, launched earlier this year, which is expected to attempt a docking with another spacecraft. That will demonstrate capabilities for its Otter line of servicing vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving shown this in a more complex environment, like a LEO demonstration vehicle, using the software in GEO and other orbits becomes a natural next step,\u201d Bennett said.<\/p>\n
While Starfish is focused on developing its Otter spacecraft, Bennett said the company could offer its software suite to other operators. \u201cWe\u2019ve shown we could fly on virtually any vehicle that would come to us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bennett said that, with Remora, he hoped to show that the complexities of RPO could be handled without the need of a complex sensor suite, comparing it to how people navigate. \u201cWe rely heavily on our eyes, and it\u2019s not unrealistic to think spacecraft can do the same now, given what we\u2019ve shown,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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