Facilities
Contact Dynamics and Control Testbed
The objective of this research is to devise real-time, efficient, and dependable algorithms for spacecraft autonomous maneuvering, with a focus on dynamic and cluttered environments. Specifically, we aim to devise technologies for the online planning of trajectories in proximity operations, which together with reliable environmental sensing and autonomous high-level decision-making is a key enabler for autonomous spacecraft navigation. To this end, CAESAR's researchers leverage a unique robotic free-flyer platform, which uses air bearings to hover on a granite table and simulate a frictionless zero gravity environment.
Free-flyer code repository
Robotic Testbed for Rendezvous and Optical Navigation (TRON)
The Space Rendezvous Laboratory’s Robotic Testbed for Rendezvous and Optical Navigation (TRON) includes two robotic arms, the camera test article, the target RSO, the calibrated light boxes, and the Vicon infrared motion tracking cameras.