Space robotics technologies

Each proposal shall address only one of the following sub-topics:

a) Orbital Support Services: demonstrate the techniques needed to offer a commercial service to operational satellites. This shall as minimum address robotic deployment and refuelling of satellites in orbit. By means of a general purpose robotic arm, a servicing satellite must be capable to demonstrate release, grasping, berthing and manipulation of a target satellite including services such as refuelling.

b) Robotised assembly of large modular orbital structures: integrate a robot system and a set of functional modules that can assemble a large structure (such as a large reflector) otherwise not feasible with a single launch.

c) Robotised reconfiguration of satellites: develop a satellite-mounted robot system and its related implements that can modify the functionality of a satellite by adding/replacing modules available on-board or provided by another servicing satellite.

d) Autonomous decision making: integrate a rover system with long traverse capabilities (kilometres a day) managing independently the decisions required to reduce risks and seize opportunities. Such a rover system will be required to travel independently from a starting point (e.g. a lander) towards an end point (say a cache of sample), perform independent opportunistic science on the way and return to the lander with the acquired soil sample.

e) Exploring robot-robot interaction. Proposals could address one of the following two scenarios. Advanced mobility: a suite of robots endowed with diverse mobility that can cooperate autonomously in the exploration of very hard-to-reach planetary areas. This team of robots will be entrusted to undertake multiple descents and ascents into a crater/gully performing coordinated mapping and science. Robotised construction: a team of specialised robots with multiple robotic arms and end-effectors that, through a minimum of drilling, excavating and manipulating, can cooperatively put together a future planetary base/ISRU plant.