Building large structures in space using identical components
- Paper number
IAC-06-C3.4.-D3.4.07
- Author
Dr. Dario Izzo, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Mr. Lorenzo Pettazzi, ZARM - University of Bremen, Germany
- Year
2006
- Abstract
A number of concepts for the exploitation of space require the construction and maintenance of large structures (real or virtual) in orbit. While quite feasible from a technological point of view, these structures require a huge amount of economic resources, which often makes the project too risky to be undertaken. Moving from a past work by the authors, we here investigate in more detail the idea of using small identical components to build a larger structure, focusing on issues such as autonomy and decentralized control. When achievable, such an architecture possesses a high degree of fault tolerance, self-repairing and self-assembly capabilities that allows to potentially reduce the cost of the whole system. Some preliminary calculations show, for example, how the construction of a large reflector array such as those envisaged in a number of Solar Power Satellite concepts could take substantial advantage in being formed by identical components launched to MEO and then sailed up to GEO and self-assembled. The novelty associated to considering a large number of objects, as long as no inter spacecraft forces are considered, lies in the control system, that has to deal with the demanding relative position requirements, with the dock and assembly procedures and with the path planning algorithms, while it still has to provide the highest possible degree of autonomy and decentralization. We show how primitive goal-oriented instincts may be coded into the control system of each satellite, guiding it to complete a small task, whilst remaining unaware that a more complex undertaking is being achieved collectively. This is how ants and termites behave in nature. In this way, a satellite swarm may be given a collective intelligence, allowing it to build or repair large structures in space. As an example we take the design of a large space reflector and we show how this behaviour-based control architecture is able to accomplish self-assembly, self-repair while retaining a high degree of robustness that is necessary whenever autonomous operations are foreseen.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-C3.4.-D3.4.07.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.