Multifunctional rendezvous and capture module

Abstract

The multifunctional rendezvous and capture module includes a mechanical capture system. The module is composed of a radar module, a technical vision system, a laser range finder including a radar module and two independent locators, a locator with an active phased antenna array and a radar quadrature interferometer, and a mutual measurement system with a control unit. The mechanical capture system is composed of a robotic manipulator, a control unit, and a damping support.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention belongs to the rocket and space industry, namely space objects performing orbital maintenance.The multifunctional rendezvous and capture module can be used as part of a servicing spacecraft for the purpose of performing orbital maintenance operations. [Background technology]

[0002] A known unit for docking the filling line of a rocket launcher includes a carriage with radial slides that interact with the rollers of the riser attached to the bottom of the niche of the launcher, lower and upper filling pipes attached to the front of the carriage and interacting with the filling neck of the rocket, a rotating bracket with a cover connected to the drive by a lever system rotatable in a radial plane, a bracket for fixing the main line pipeline to the central part of the carriage of the unit, and a flexible hose of the line that connects the pipeline of the unit to the ground pipeline and interacts with the profile bracket. The unit is equipped with a chain, which is made in the form of a plate fixed to the rear of the carriage and connected by a horizontal axis movable in a radial plane (Patent Document 1). This design is very complex and unstable.

[0003] The closest analogue, both in nature and in terms of the task to be solved, is the capture and docking mechanism. This mechanism is composed of a fixed platform, a planar scaling mechanism, a three-branch connecting rod chain, and three manual tail capture modules. One end of the three-branch connecting rod chain is connected to the fixed platform via a hook joint so as to be rotatable relative to the fixed platform, and the other end of the three-branch connecting rod chain is connected to one side of the planar scaling mechanism via an equivalent ball joint, which can rotate in three directions relative to the planar scaling mechanism, and the other side of the plane of the scaling mechanism is connected to the manual tail capture module. Before performing the capture, the planar scaling mechanism deforms in one plane to change the ratio of the relative position of the manual tail capture module, and the target is flexibly captured by the manual tail capture module. After the capture is completed, the planar scaling mechanism deforms again to perform a rigid lock, and the capture and docking of the target is completed (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Ukrainian Utility Model No. 70500 [Patent Document 2] China Patent Application Publication No. 112109928

[0005] A drawback of the known designs is their poor handling qualities. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention is based on the problem of producing an improved design of a multifunctional rendezvous and capture module, making it possible to improve its operational qualities by introducing new elements and technical solutions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The proposed problem is solved according to the present invention by the fact that a multifunctional rendezvous and capture module including a mechanical capture system is composed of a radar module, a technical vision system, a laser range finder including a radar module and two independent locators, a locator equipped with an active phased antenna array and a radar quadrature interferometer locator, and a mutual measurement system comprising a control unit, the mechanical capture system being composed of a robot manipulator, a control unit and a damping support. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 shows a multi-function rendezvous and capture module. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a multi-function rendezvous and capture module. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 shows a multi-function rendezvous and capture module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The essence of the proposed invention is illustrated by a multi-function rendezvous and capture module shown in Figures 1-3.

[0010] The multifunctional rendezvous and capture module includes a mutual measurement system with a laser rangefinder 1, a technical vision system 2 and a radar module 3.

[0011] The radar module 3 consists of two independent locators, one with an active phased array antenna 4 and the other with a quadrature radar interferometer 5, and a control unit (located within the module).

[0012] The mechanical capture system includes a robotic manipulator 6 that provides shock-free capture, retention, and undocking of the client device, a control unit (located within the module) designed to process information from sensors, determine control of the robotic manipulator node, generate control signals, exchange information from the mechanical capture system and the mutual measurement system, and collect and transmit information regarding the status, distance, contact, retention forces of the robotic manipulator node, and damping supports 7 that provide shock-free fastening of the client and servicing spacecraft.

[0013] For connection to a space platform the module is equipped with an attachment device 13. The mechanical connection is provided by a mechanical interface 9 and alignment pins 12. The power connection is provided by an electrical interface 10.

[0014] Information exchange between the module and the space platform takes place via a data interface 8 and, if necessary, via an optical interface 11 .

[0015] When designing the servicing spacecraft, the rendezvous and capture equipment was not considered as a separate part of the spacecraft, making it difficult to design.

[0016] Creating separate modules makes it possible to take into account the following: ensuring the adaptation of the mutual measurement system to various classes and purposes of service spacecraft; providing a block modular structure of the mutual measurement system, including functional units, structural technologies and software modules; minimizing the efforts for solving the proposed set of problems by using new signal processing algorithms, hardware and software components of functional units.

[0017] The multi-function module includes a mutual measurement system and a mechanical capture system.

[0018] By integrating the mutual measurement system and the mechanical capture system into separate modules, they can be connected and adapted for use on servicing spacecraft with different space platforms.

[0019] When constructing the servicing spacecraft, the rendezvous and capture equipment was not considered a separate part of the spacecraft. Well-known missions include the ESS using a radar system for long-range rendezvous, and the GVS and optical equipment for medium-range rendezvous as separate equipment.

[0020] The principle of operation of the present invention is that a multi-function rendezvous and capture module that is part of the servicing spacecraft uses a mutual measurement system to measure the position of the client spacecraft in the coordinates of the servicing spacecraft.

[0021] The mechanical capture system provides the necessary rigidity for the connection between the servicing and client spacecraft and is designed for shock-free capture / docking at a predefined position on the client spacecraft and shock-free release / undocking. To connect to the space platform, the module is equipped with an attachment device.

[0022] The mutual measurement system is designed to measure parameters of the relative motion and relative position of the servicing spacecraft and the client spacecraft to ensure rendezvous operations of the servicing spacecraft with the client spacecraft.

[0023] The mutual measurement system provides operations for detecting the client spacecraft, determining the mutual orientation of the servicing spacecraft with respect to the client spacecraft during rendezvous with the client spacecraft and during the servicing spacecraft's departure from the client spacecraft, determining the node at which to capture the client spacecraft, orbital inspection of the client spacecraft, surveying the client spacecraft to detect external defects during rendezvous and docking, and detecting foreign objects passing at distances of up to 7000 m from the servicing spacecraft.

[0024] The combined design scheme makes it possible to take advantage of radio-technical methods of measuring the motion parameters of the client spacecraft in the far section of the rendezvous, and optical means in the near section.

[0025] Advantages of using radio engineering equipment: at long distances, no limitations related to the position of celestial bodies occur due to clutter or working in shadow areas. Radio engineering technology is more developed in real operating conditions. The method used to measure the convergence parameters of objects using a radar quadrature interferometer can ensure with sufficient accuracy the guidance of the service spacecraft on the mating surface of the client spacecraft at a distance of 20 m and can significantly simplify the requirements for the equipment of the technical vision system.

[0026] Additional advantages can be obtained by radio engineering options using locators with active phased array antennas. Active phased array antennas are modern universal platforms with a modular construction principle, which allows the production of a large number of radar systems built on the same or similar technical principles, although with different main technical specifications such as detection range, coordinate measurement accuracy, noise immunity, etc. The required capacitance level and radiation pattern of active phased array antennas are formed by summing many low-power signals in space, which significantly reduces the weight and size characteristics, so there is no need to use powerful stages and the problem of heat removal is solved more simply. Failure of individual elements of the receiving and transmitting paths does not cause significant changes in the system parameters.

[0027] Advantages of using optical means: Optical systems work most effectively at distances up to 20 m. At close distances starting from 20 m, they measure rendezvous-specific parameters with minor errors. The cost characteristics of technical vision systems based on TV cameras and laser range finders are lower compared to scanning laser systems.

[0028] The modular design of the device allows the measurement system to be optimized to solve a specific problem, both in terms of measurement parameters, range settings and errors, and in terms of size, weight and energy consumption.

[0029] The mechanical capture system provides the necessary rigidity for the connection between the servicing and client spacecraft and is designed for shock-free capture / docking and shock-free release / undocking at a predefined location of the client spacecraft.

[0030] Direct transmission of parameters of the relative motion and relative position of the servicing and client spacecraft from the relative measurement system to the machine capture system provides a more accurate capture mode of the client spacecraft.

[0031] The multifunctional rendezvous and capture module differs in the integration of the mutual measurement system and the mechanical capture system in a separate module that can be applied for use in orbital servicing operations on various space platforms. The method of measuring the rendezvous-specific parameters of the object using a radar quadrature interferometer can ensure that the client spacecraft is guided with sufficient accuracy to the mating surface of the client spacecraft at a distance of 20 m, significantly simplifying the requirements of the technical vision system. The use of a locator with an active phased array antenna over a long distance allows not only to measure the position of the client spacecraft, but also to monitor the surrounding space. The direct transmission of the parameters of the mutual motion and mutual position of the service spacecraft and the client spacecraft from the mutual measurement system to the mechanical capture system provides a more accurate mode of capture of the client spacecraft. The combined design scheme of the mutual measurement system allows to take advantage of the advantages of radio-technical methods for measuring the motion parameters of the service spacecraft in the far section of the rendezvous and of optical means in the near section.

Claims

[Claim 1] The multifunctional rendezvous and capture module includes a mechanical capture system, characterized in that the mechanical capture system is composed of a mutual measurement system comprising a radar module, a technical vision system, a laser range finder with a radar module and two independent locators, a locator with an active phased array antenna, a radar quadrature interferometer locator, and a control unit, and the mechanical capture system is composed of a robot manipulator, a control unit, and a damping support.

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