Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Design of Electromagnetic Docking Device for Micro–Nanosatellite

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Advances in Astronautics Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, a kind of micro–nanosatellite electromagnetic docking device is designed and a configuration of electromagnet with iron-core is proposed. Compared with the coreless coil, the electromagnetic force within the docking range can be significantly increased. To resolve the problem of limited capacity of electromagnet attitude correction, a type of taper hole–taper rod matching mechanism is designed to limit non-docking axial motion for docking in electromechanical coordination. Through the ground experiment, the function of electromagnetic docking device is verified.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wang B, Zhuang Y, Liu P, Wang N, Han RQ, Zhu JL (2018) Review of spacecraft electromagnetic docking technology development. Spacecr Eng 27(6):92–101

    Google Scholar 

  2. KongEM, Otero AS, Nolet S, Berkovitz DS, Miller DW (2004) SPHERES as a formation flight algorithm development and validation testbed: current progress and beyond. In: 2004 Proc int. symp. on formation flying missions & techn., pp 1–13

  3. Fredrickson SE, Duran S, Howard N, et al (2004) Application of the mini AERCam free flyer for orbital inspection. In: Proc. of SPIE, Bellingham, WA, USA, pp 26–35

  4. Bloom J (2004) On-orbit Autonomous Servicing Satellite (OASIS) systems requirements document. Univ. of Washington, WA

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ocampo C, Williams J (2005) Electromagnetically guided autonomous docking and separation in micro-gravity. Univ. of Texas, Austin

    Google Scholar 

  6. Underwood C, Pellegrino S, Lappas VJ, Bridges CP, Baker J (2015) Using CubeSat_micro-satellite technology to demonstrate the Autonomous Assembly of a Reconfigurable Space Telescope (AAReST). Acta Astronaut 114:112–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bridges CP, Taylor B, Horri N, Underwood CI (2013) Strand-2: visual inspection, proximity operations & nanosatellite docking. In: 2013 IEEE aeros. conf., pp 1–8

  8. Smail S, Underwood C (2009) Electromagnetic flat docking system for in-orbit self-assembly of small spacecraft. Adv Astronaut Sci 134:173–183

    Google Scholar 

  9. Boesso A, Francesconi A (2013) ARCADE small-scale docking mechanism for micro-satellites. Acta Astronaut 86:77–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bandyopadhyay S, Chung S-J, Foust R, Subramanian G (2016) Review of formation flying and constellation missions using nanosatellites. J Spacecr Rockets 53(3):567

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hallaj MA, Assadian N (2015) Tethered satellite system control using electromagnetic forces and reaction wheels. Acta Astronaut 117:390–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Foust RC, Lupu ES, Nakka YK, Chung SJ, Hadaegh FY (2018) Ultra-soft electromagnetic docking with applications to in-orbit assembly. In: Proc. 69th int. astron. congr., Bremen, Germany, pp 1–14

  13. Yung KW, Landecker PB, Villani DD (1998) An analytic solution for the force between two magnetic dipoles. J Mag Electr 9:39–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Landecker PB, Villani DD, Yung KW (1999) An analytic solution for the torque between two magnetic dipoles. J Mag Electr 10:29–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Zhang YW (2021) Piece-wise control of constant electromagnetic moments for spacecraft self- and soft-docking exploiting dynamics conservation. Asian J Control 23:2459–2473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Wu LJ, Ruan GZ, Han RQ, Wang B Micro-nano satellite sensorless electromagnetic docking control based on the high frequency injection method (unpublished)

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering for providing topics, putting forward requirements and granting project funding.

Funding

No funding received.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Electrical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Guangzheng Ruan & Lijian Wu

  2. Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, Beijing, China

    Runqi Han & Bo Wang

Authors
  1. Guangzheng Ruan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lijian Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Runqi Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bo Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

L.J. Wu and G.Z Ruan designed the research. R.Q. Han and B. Wang helped optimize the project scheme and provided the test site. G.Z Ruan conducted the research and analyzed the data. G.Z Ruan wrote the article.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guangzheng Ruan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

It is a pre-research project oriented by interest and hence Ethical approval not required.

Informed consent

For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ruan, G., Wu, L., Han, R. et al. Design of Electromagnetic Docking Device for Micro–Nanosatellite. Adv. Astronaut. Sci. Technol. 5, 341–350 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42423-022-00121-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42423-022-00121-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation