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Over a couple of decades, space junk has increased rapidly, which has caused significant threats to the LEO operation satellites. An Active Debris Removal $(ADR)$ concept continuously evolves for space junk removal. One of the ADR methods is Space Robotics, whose function is to chase, capture and de-orbit the space junk. This paper presents the development of an on-ground space robotics facility in the TCS Research for on-orbit servicing $(OOS)$ like refueling and debris capture experiments. A Hardware in Loop Simulation (HILS) system will be used for integrated system development, testing, and demonstration of on-orbit docking mechanisms. The HiLS test facility of TCS Research Lab will use two URs in which one UR is attached to the RG2 gripper, and the other is attached to a force-torque sensor and with a scaled mock-up model. The first UR5 will be mounted on a 7-axis linear rail and contain the docking probe. First, UR5 with a suitable gripper has to interface its control boxes. The grasping algorithm was run through the ROS interface line to demonstrate and validate the on-orbit operations. The manipulator will be mounted with LIDAR and a camera to visualize the mock-up model, find the target model's pose and rotational velocity estimation, and a gripper that will move relative to the target model. The other manipulator has the UR10 control, providing rotational and random motion to the mockup, enabling a dynamic simulator fed by force-torque data. The dynamic simulator is fed up with the orbit propagator, which will provide the orbiting environment to the target model. For the simulation of the docking and grasping of the target model, a linear rail of a 6m setup is still in the procurement process. Once reaching proximity, the grasping algorithm will be launched to capture the target model after reading the random motion of the mock-up model., Comment: 11 pages, 15 figures, Accepted at Small Satellite Conference 2023; Weekday Sessions: Orbital Debris, SSA & STM; Tuesday, 8th Aug 2023

An increase in satellite application has skyrocketed the number of satellites, especially in the low earth orbit (LEO). The major concern today is that these satellites become debris after the end of life, negatively affecting the space environment. As per the International Guidelines of the European Space Agency, it is mandatory to deorbit the satellite within 25 years of its end of life. This paper is aimed to design the solid chemical propellant thruster to deorbit the StudSat II from its original orbit to the lower orbit. StudSat II carries the heritage of StudSat I, successfully launched on 12th July 2010 AD, and is the first Pico Satellite in India by the undergraduate students of seven engineering colleges. This paper explains how a solid monopropellant thruster could be used to deorbit the satellite after the end of life with the least difficulty compared to other active and passive methods of deorbiting. The deorbiting mechanism consists of a solid propellant, Convergent Divergent nozzle, ignition system, and electronic actuators. The components of the thruster were designed in the CATIA V5, and the combustion studies and flow analysis were done in ANSYS. The concept of Hohmann transfer was used to deorbit the satellite, and STK was used to simulate it., Comment: 8 papers, 17 figures, Presented and Published at Proceedings of the XVII Vibration Engineering & Technology of Machinery Conference(VETOMAC),Dec. 15-17, 2022, DMAE, IOE, Pulchowk, Nepal

Over the several decades, the space debris at LEO has grown rapidly which had caused a serious threat to the operating satellite in an orbit. To avoid the risk of collision and protect the LEO environment, the space robotics ADR concept has been continuously developed for over a decade to chase, capture, and deorbit space debris. This paper presents the designed small satellite with dual robotic manipulators. The small satellite is designed based on CubeSat standards, which uses commercially available products in the market. In this paper, an approach is detailed for designing the controlled chase and deorbit maneuver for a small satellite equipped with an RCS thruster. The maneuvers are comprised of two phases, a. bringing the chaser satellite to the debris orbit and accelerating it to close proximity of 1m to the debris object by using the low thrust RCS thruster, and b. Once captured, controlled deorbiting it to 250 km of altitude. A Hohmann transfer concept is used to move our chaser satellite from the lower orbit to the debris orbit by two impulsive burns. A number of the scenarios are simulated, where one or more orbital elements are adjusted. For more than one orbital elements adjustment, the DAG law and the Q law are utilized. These laws synthesize the three direction thrusts to the single thrust force for the controlled maneuver. The $\Delta$V requirement at each maneuver is determined by using the performance parameters of the RCS thruster intended for a small satellite. The results show that, for long term simulation of a chaser satellite maneuver to debris object, an optimum DAG law is most suitable than the Q law, as it can handle the singularity behavior of the orbital elements caused due by adjustment of one or more elements more efficiently., Comment: 23 Pages, 21 Figures, Presented & Published at ASET 2022 Conference on "Artificial Intelligence(AI) Enabled Aerobots and Hydrobots" Organized by ISRO Inertial Systems Unit & IIST at Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Thiruvananthapuram, India on 17-18, March, 2022, https://aset2022.vssc.gov.in/proceedings.php