Publication
PERIOD – PERASPERA In-Orbit Demonstration toward the transition into the in-space services, assembly and manufacturing paradigm
Stéphane Estable; Annelies Ampe; Apostolos Chamos; Gwenaelle Aridon; Daniel Silveira; Francisco Javier Colmenero Lechuga; Isabel Soto; Jeremi Gancet; Mark Shilton; Marko Jankovic; Torsten Vogel
In: IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 1226, No. 1, Pages 1-8, IOP Publishing, Online, 2/2022.
Abstract
Space robotics technologies are maturing, bringing new capabilities for In-orbit Services, Manufacturing and Assembly (ISMA). These capabilities will generate on-orbit services improving the orbital infrastructure, creating in turn a very promising business opportunity in terms of market volume. The establishment of a European capacity is necessary for building this new space infrastructure and to capture a fair part of this market. The concrete objectives of the PERIOD project are focusing on the main levers to generate the capabilities, which are the further maturation of the space robotics technologies and the definition of an in-orbit demonstration to be implemented as early as 2026. In the frame of the PERASPERA Strategic Research Cluster (SRC), key enabling products have been selected for technology maturation aiming at an increased technology readiness level (TRL). In support of the PERIOD activities, ESROCOS, ERGO and InFuse will be developed to TRL5 after an alignment of their perimeter to the demonstration objectives. The Standard Interconnects (SI), already at TRL5 at project start, will be tested in a benchmark for evaluating their performance. These SRC building blocks will be integrated in a breadboard at Airbus for supporting the system definition work. The PERIOD Consortium bringing together the competencies of Airbus Defence and Space, DFKI, EASN-TIS, GMV, ISISPACE, SENER Aerospacial and Space Application Services is proposing a very ambitious demonstration scenario and Factory concept. A satellite will be manufactured in an Orbital Factory to be designed in the study at SRR level and injected in LEO for operations. The manufacturing includes the fabrication of an antenna, the assembly of the satellite components and its reconfiguration and inspection in the Factory. Throughout the demonstration mission, the PERIOD facility will be upgraded to extend the level of capability validation from assembly and manufacturing of structures to attachment and refuelling experiments. Dissemination activities will maximize the impact of the project toward the Space Community. This demonstration covers the short and mid-to-long term ISMA business cases and will support the transition into the in-space services, assembly and manufacturing paradigm.