Applying Lessons Learned from Shuttle Robotics to Project Constellation Vehicles

Paper number

IAC-07-B3.2.07

Author

Mr. Michael Hiltz, MDA Space Missions, Canada

Coauthor

Dr. Ravi Ravindran, MDA, Canada

Year

2007

Abstract

The future success of NASA’s Project Constellation will rely heavily on exploiting the invaluable lessons learned from the past 46 years of human spaceflight experience. One of the most important lessons learned is that a versatile robotic system enables the astronauts and mission management team to effectively deal with a variety of unforeseen problems on-orbit, ensuring crew safety and overall mission success. Throughout the history of the Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) programs, robotics has provided a cost effective, flexible solution to deal with a wide variety of contingency or off-nominal situations. Indeed, the vital role that robotics has played in resolving potentially critical situations has almost become taken for granted and thought of as an inherent part of the vehicles’ capabilities. It is only when such a capability is not available (such as during Columbia’s STS-107 mission) that its importance is highlighted. Over the years, Shuttle and ISS robotics have been used to inspect and diagnose potential problems for a wide range of critical vehicle functions. In doing so, robotics have significantly reduced the amount of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) required. Furthermore, when the need for EVA became unavoidable, robotics has proved to be invaluable as a work platform for otherwise free-floating astronauts. 

In addition to providing the ability to deal with contingency scenarios, robotics would also provide future Constellation vehicles like the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV-Orion) with vital on-orbit payload handling capabilities including a means of performing intrinsically safe docking/berthing between vehicles and/or payloads. The provision of a deployable and re-locatable manipulator with suitable tools on the service module of a future crew vehicle will enable servicing functions such as external inspection, recovery from mechanism failures, fluid leaks and support to EVA during maintenance operations. A concept for such a manipulator is presented for use on the CEV and during Lunar and Mars exploration missions. Such a re-locatable robot could work off both the CEV and the surface access modules and could support EVA servicing of expensive space observatories located in the vicinity of earth-moon and sun-earth Lagrangian points.    

This paper will discuss how lessons learned from the use of robotics to resolve unforeseen problems on past human spaceflight missions underscores the need for having them on future crewed Constellation missions. It will also examine how the flexibility provided by robotics can be exploited to provide primary, or as a minimum- backup, payload handling capabilities throughout the various phases of Project Constellation.

Abstract document

IAC-07-B3.2.07.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-07-B3.2.07.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.