Development and Testing of a Propulsion System for a Space Robot Platform Operating in 2D Microgravity

Robotic arms for use aboard satellites continue to attract much research and development interest due to the vast range of potential applications, ranging from satellite servicing to debris removal. The challenges faced relate to the extent of the complexity of the system and the demands made. The Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Warsaw University of Technology, was engaged in research aimed at designing and constructing a robotic platform that was equipped with air bearings and operated on a granite table - thereby simulating 2D microgravity conditions. The paper describes the design process of the propulsion system for the platform, which is a new direction for cold-gas thrusters. The specific requirements regarding the propulsion system, solutions for design problems, and the measurement methods and instrumentation were covered briefly. These were followed by presenting the facility configuration, evaluation methodology, representative results of single-engine performance, and platform-propulsive module integration mechanism. Finally, on-board propulsion test results were presented in which a comparison of two maneuvers was given, namely, the realization of the same trajectory by the platform in two distinct robotic arm configurations.