Mechanical tests of the iSSI® from iBOSS GmbH, HOTDOCK from Space Applications Services NV and SIROM from SENER Aeroespacial S.A. identifying their capabilities to perform a release of a coupled interface under load. Please note that the behaviour of interfaces during the depicted tests is unsuitable for direct comparison given different numeric values used for initial axial, radial and angular misalignments.

Mechanical test of the HOTDOCK from Space Applications Services NV verifying its misalignment capabilities using guiding petals.

Mechanical test of the SIROM from SENER Aeroespacial S.A. verifying its capture range.

Future orbital factories will require standardized components to manufacture and assemble modular spacecraft. One of such components is a multifunctional interconnect which allows to connect different subsystems of a modular spacecraft mechanically and electrically. To select the most appropriate one for the envisioned demonstration scenario of the PERIOD project a benchmark was performed at DFKI on the three European state-of-the-art interconnects. The tests compared the electrical and mechanical capabilities of the interconnects and set a precedent on how to design and execute future benchmarks of multifunctional interconnects.