SSHS SAT · Robotic-arm-assisted spacecraft docking
SSHS SAT received the Gold Award (금상) in the 2023 RecurDyn Simulation Competition. The KAIST entry by Hyeon-Ho Yang and Keon-Ik Jang explored robotic-arm-assisted docking for an on-orbit servicing satellite: a spacecraft designed to approach and connect with another satellite already in orbit.
Spacecraft Model
The model paired a target satellite with a servicing spacecraft whose three docking arms grasped the target’s adapter ring.
The target and servicing spacecraft are shown at different scales. Both spacecraft and the robotic arms were modeled as rigid bodies.
Docking Simulation
The simulation couples target rotation, arm motion and the response of the servicing spacecraft.
The docking sequence proceeds from spacecraft approach to grasping the adapter ring, then pulling the spacecraft together and stabilizing the connected system. RecurDyn solves the mechanical dynamics, with MATLAB/Simulink providing the control model.
The study examined how target rotation and actuator limits affected the simulated docking behavior.
Competition Video
Gold Award and Report
