Concept of Operation of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator
- Paper number
IAC-05-B4.2.06
- Author
Mr. Mathieu Caron, Canadian Space Agency, Canada
- Coauthor
Mr. Andrew Keenan, Canadian Space Agency, Canada
- Year
2005
- Abstract
The Mobile Servicing System (MSS) is a complex robotics system used extensively in the assembly, inspection and maintenance of the International Space Station (ISS). It includes the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), the Mobile Base System (MBS), and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM). The SSRMS was launched and installed on the ISS in April 2001, and was joined by the MBS in June 2002. MSS operations to date have consisted mainly in unberthing large elements from the Space Shuttle payload bay and installing them on the ISS. The SSRMS has also been used extensively as a platform for extra-vehicular crewmembers during Shuttle missions to the ISS. Between Shuttle flights, the SSRMS has primarily been used to carry out external surveys of the ISS. The SPDM is currently scheduled to complete the MSS in 2007. This robotics manipulator will be used to remove and replace On-orbit Replaceable Units (ORUs) located outside the pressurized volume of the ISS, alleviating astronauts from performing numerous risky and time-consuming extra-vehicular activities. The arrival of the SPDM will mark a substantial increase in the number of on-orbit robotics tasks and their complexity, with considerable impacts on the preparation, training, and execution of these robotics activities. This paper summarizes the concept of operation for the SPDM. Lessons learned from the planning and execution of past SSRMS operations are first introduced. After a brief description of the SPDM’s design and its expected tasks, significant differences between SPDM and SSRMS operations are discussed. Guidelines for the preparation, training, integration, and execution of SPDM tasks are then derived for planned and contingency ORU maintenance. The approach used in order to recover from system anomalies is also presented. The specific case of a planned Direct-current to Direct-current Converter Unit (DDCU) replacement is considered in order to illustrate the development of operational procedures, the integration of the robotics operations with the other ISS systems, the generation of tasks-specific analyses and software data files, operator training, and the interaction of robotics flight controllers on the ground with the onboard crewmembers. The paper concludes with a discussion on the use of ground control for SPDM operations, aimed at maximizing external maintenance capability, and therefore ISS lifetime, as well as on-orbit crew availability for science activities.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-05-B4.2.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.