Space Robot System Verification

Abstract

Each spacecraft has to undergo comprehensive and rigorous ground verification prior to launch, and space robots are no exception. There are two ways for the ground verification for general spacecraft: simulation and physical testing, and the latter is the most commonly adopted method. Physical test of spacecraft at assembly-level is generally easier to conduct with full coverage of test conditions, because the ground simulation environment in which the products actually work can be easily set up. However, due to the size and weight (including payload weight) of the space robot system, as well as the challenge of simulating the on-orbit microgravity (or low gravity) environment in which the space robot systems are supposed to work, system-level ground verification test for space robot systems is very difficult to carry out. So, system verification of space robots is more difficult than that of general space mechanisms.