Publication
Development and application of Interchangeable Tools for Modular In-Orbit Assembly Scenarios
Jonas Eisenmenger; Montserrat Diaz-Carrasco; Marc Manz; Javier Vinals
In: 76th International Astronautical Congress. International Astronautical Congress (IAC-2025), September 29 - October 3, Sydney, Australia, IAF, 10/2025.
Abstract
As space ecosystems are expected to experience significant growth, leading to an expansion of the infrastructure, the
demand for In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) to maintain and manage this infrastructure is
steadily rising. The European Robotics for Space Ecosystem (EU-RISE) project aims to increase Europe's
independence in participating in future space ecosystems and developing new space technologies by providing a
modular approach for the autonomous assembly of a satellite with an antenna reflector as an assembly scenario.
As part of the project, the scenario will be demonstrated to illustrate the application of modularity and autonomy as a
future solution for on-orbit assembly. By utilizing Multi-Purpose Tools (MPT) mounted on robotic arms, a range of
assembly tasks can be executed with a single tool. This versatility is enabled by three different Tool Sockets that can
be modularly attached to the MPT via the Standard Interface for Robotic Manipulation (SIROM) and interchanged
according to the specific assembly task. With two gripper sockets and one wrench socket, different geometries can be
autonomously gripped and assembled.
This paper describes the different components involved and presents the assembly demonstration scenario, detailing
the roles of each component.