ITN Stardust

Workpackage Close-Range Navigation and Manipulation of Space Debris and Asteroids

The ITN Stardust Project is an EU-wide programme, funded by the FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN) scheme, which will provide Europe with a first generation of decision makers, engineers and scientists that have the knowledge and capabilities to address the asteroid and space debris issue now and in the future. The overriding goal of this network is to train researchers to develop and master techniques for asteroid and space debris monitoring, removal/deflection and exploitation such that they can be applied in a real scenario. The researcher at the DFKI will work in the fields of active removal/deflection of uncooperative targets specifically on close-range navigation and manipulation of space debris and asteroids.

Duration: 01.02.2013 till 31.01.2017
Donee: German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH
Sponsor: European Union
Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union
Marie Curie Training Network
Grant number: EU financial support, Marie Curie Training Network, Grant Agreement Number 317185
Partner: University of Strathclyde, Universitá di Roma Tor Vergata, Universitá di Pisa, University of Southampton, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Astronomical Observatory, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dinamica, DEIMOS Space S.L.U., European Space Agency, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Astrium Ltd, Telespazio
Application Field: Space Robotics
Related Projects: Inveritas
Innovatice technologies for relative navigation and capture (05.2009- 03.2012)
RTES-TA
Robotic technologies for the removal of space debris (10.2012- 03.2013)

Project details

Background and Motivation:

Asteroids and space debris represent a significant hazard for space and terrestrial assets; at the same time asteroids represent also an opportunity. In recent years it has become clear that the increasing amount of space debris could lead to catastrophic consequences in the near term.

The Kessler syndrome (where the density of objects in orbit is high enough that collisions could set off a cascade) is more realistic than when it was first proposed in 1978. Though statistically less likely to occur, an asteroid impact would have devastating consequences for our planet. Although an impact with a large (~10 km) to medium (~300 m) sized, or diameter, asteroid is unlikely, still it is not negligible as the recent case of the asteroid Apophis has demonstrated. Furthermore impacts with smaller size objects, between 10 m to 100 m diameter, are expected to occur more frequently and hence are, proportionally, equally dangerous for humans and assets on Earth and in space.

Asteroids and space debris share a number of commonalities: both are uncontrolled objects whose orbit is deeply affected by a number of perturbations, both have an irregular shape and an uncertain attitude motion, both are made of inhomogeneous materials that can respond unexpectedly to a deflection action, for both, accurate orbit determination is required, both need to be removed before they impact with something valuable for us.

The observation, manipulation and disposal of space debris and asteroids represent one of the most challenging goals for modern space technology. It represents a key scientific and commercial venture for the future in order to protect the space and Earth environment. Such a significant multidisciplinary technical challenge, with real societal benefit for the future, represents a compelling topic for a training network.

Workpackage Description:

Research in the DFKI part of the project is dedicated to the analysis and development of technologies and techniques for active removal of space debris and asteroids.


Please visit the project's main webpage for further information: http://www.stardust2013.eu/

Publications

2022

Characterization and Capture of Space Debris Objects Using Domain Ontology and Optimal Control
Marko Jankovic
Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany, Apr/2022. Universität Bremen.

2020

Space debris ontology for ADR capture methods selection
Marko Jankovic, Mehmed Yüksel, Mohammad Mohammadzadeh Babr, Francesca Letizia, Vitali Braun
In Acta Astronautica, Elsevier Ltd., volume n.n., pages 56-68, Apr/2020.

2018

Trajectory generation method for robotic free-floating capture of a non-cooperative, tumbling target
Marko Jankovic, Frank Kirchner
In Stardust Final Conference: Advances in Asteroids and Space Debris Engineering and Science, 31.10.-03.11.2016, Noordwijk, Springer International Publishing AG, series Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings Series, volume 52, Feb/2018. ISBN: 978-3-319-69955-4.
Taxonomy of LEO space debris population for ADR capture methods selection
Marko Jankovic, Frank Kirchner
In Stardust Final Conference: Advances in Asteroids and Space Debris Engineering and Science, 31.10.-3.11.2016, Noordwijk, Springer International Publishing AG, series Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings Series, Feb/2018. ISBN: 978-3-319-69955-4.

2016

Fast approximators for optimal low-thrust hops between main belt asteroids
Daniel Hennes, Dario Izzo, Damon Landau
In Proceedings of the 2016 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, (SSCI-2016), 06.12.-09.12.2016, Athen, IEEE, Dec/2016.
Taxonomy of LEO Space Debris Population for ADR Selection
Marko Jankovic, Frank Kirchner
In Proceedings of the 67th International Astronautical Congress, (IAC-2016), 26.9.-30.9.2016, Guadalajara, International Astronautical Federation (IAF), pages 1-15, Sep/2016.
Control analysis for a contactless de-tumbling method based on eddy currents: problem definition and approximate proposed solutions
Natalia Ortiz Gómez, Scott J.I. Walker, Marko Jankovic, Juan Manuel Romero Martin, Frank Kirchner, Massimilano Vasile
In AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, (AIAA SciTech-2016), 04.1.-08.1.2016, San Diego, California, o.A., pages 1-25, Jan/2016. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ISBN: DOI: 10.2514/6.2016-0642.
Lasers for Asteroid and Debris Deflection
Marko Jankovic, Nicolas Thiry, Pierre Bourdon
Editors: Massimiliano Vasile, Edmondo Minisci
In Asteroid and Space Debris Manipulation: Advances from the Stardust Research Network, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc, pages 291-328, Jan/2016. ISBN: 978-1-62410-323-0.
Robotic Active Debris Removal and On-Orbit Servicing
Marko Jankovic, Jan Paul
Editors: Massimiliano Vasile, Edmondo Minisci
In Asteroid and Space Debris Manipulation: Advances from the Stardust Research Network, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., pages 329-372, Jan/2016. ISBN: 978-1-62410-323-0.

2015

Agora: Mission to demonstrate technologies to actively remove Ariane rocket bodies
Kartik Kumar, Marko Jankovic, Natalia Ortiz G, Juan Manuel Romero Martin, Francesco Topputo, Scott Walker, Frank Kirchner, Massimiliano Vasile
In Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2015), (IAC-2015), 12.10.-16.10.2015, Jerusalem, International Astronautical Federation (IAF), pages 1-16, Oct/2015.
GNC architecture for autonomous robotic capture of a non-cooperative target: Preliminary concept design
Marko Jankovic, Jan Paul, Frank Kirchner
In Advances in Space Research, Elsevier B.V., volume 57, number 8, pages 1715-1736, May/2015.
Spacecraft Concept for Active De-Tumbling and Robotic Capture of Ariane Rocket Bodies
Marko Jankovic, Kartik Kumar, Natalia Ortiz Gómez, Juan Manuel Romero Martin, Frank Kirchner, Francesco Topputo, Scott Walker, Massimiliano Vasile
In Proceedings of Advanced Space Technologies in Robotics and Automation-ASTRA 2015, 11.5.-13.5.2015, Noordwijk, European Space Agency (ESA), May/2015. European Space Agency (ESA).
Robotic System for Active Debris Removal: Requirements, State-of-the-Art and Concept Architecture of the Rendezvous and Capture (RVC) Control System
Marko Jankovic, Kartik Kumar, Natalia Ortiz Gomez, Juan Manuel Romero Martin, Frank Kirchner, Francesco Topputo, Scott J. I. Walker, Massimiliano Vasile
In 5th CEAS Air & Space Conference Proceedings, (CEAS-2015), 07.9.-11.9.2015, Delft, Council of European Aerospace Societies (CEAS), pages 1-15, 2015.

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