Analysis of Intra-vehicular Free-flying Robots and Their Manipulation Capabilities

Kurzfassung

Space exploration has led to groundbreaking scientific and technological advancements, driving humanity closer to long-duration missions beyond Earth's orbit. Upcoming projects such as the Lunar Gateway, a planned space station in lunar orbit developed by NASA, ESA, JAXA, and CSA, will serve as a staging point for deep-space missions to Mars and beyond, and play a crucial role in supporting humanity’s return to the Moon. However, operating in such environments presents significant challenges, including crew workload and limited resources. Studies by JAXA have highlighted that a considerable portion of astronauts' time is spent on routine tasks that could be automated, emphasizing the need for autonomous free-flying robots to enhance crew productivity and operational efficiency. These robots, both extravehicular (EV) and intravehicular (IV), will be critical not only in assisting astronauts but also in ensuring the success of future uncrewed missions. EV free-flying robots have demonstrated their potential in performing inspection, maintenance, docking support tasks, debris removal and assembly. They reduce astronaut exposure to hazardous environments and contribute to mission safety. Similarly, IV free flying robots can play a key role in automating repetitive tasks within space habitats, such as cargo handling, inventory management, monitoring of experiments and tool transport, thereby reducing astronaut workload and allowing the crew to focus on mission-critical activities. Despite the growing interest in autonomous robotics, the specific application of these technologies for intra-vehicular manipulation operations remains underexplored in the existing literature. This thesis aims to analyze the manipulation performance of intra-vehicular free-flying robots. Two main studies have been conducted: a simulation of a cargo handling and transport task using a single-arm free-flying robot, and an analysis of the optimal configuration for a dual-arm free-flying robot, focusing on workspace efficiency and force transmission effects from the manipulators to the base. The findings provide valuable insights into the feasibility and effectiveness of IV free-flying robots in space station environments and their potential applications in future uncrewed deep-space missions.