Paving the Way for Future On-Orbit-Servicing Missions: the AVANTI Experiment

Abstract

The Autonomous Vision Approach Navigation and Target Identification (AVANTI) experiment is an in-flight demonstration of vision-based far- to mid-range autonomous rendezvous, scheduled in 2016. This paper addresses the design challenges, and the related technical advances, to develop an autonomous guidance navigation and control software able to achieve the experiment’s ambitious objectives. Autonomy, software flexibility, applicability to various orbit environments, and inclusion of a robust safety concept are indeed fundamental requirements for a general on-orbit-servicing mission. In this frame, AVANTI represents the in-flight technological demonstrator of one of the on-orbit servicing essential enabling technologies: the capability to approach, identify, rendezvous with a noncooperative, passive client from large distances in an autonomous, fuel efficient, and safe manner. The expected experiment performances are discussed in conclusion to this paper.