Analysis of a Deorbiting Maneuver of a Large Target Satellite Using a Chaser Satellite with a Robot Arm

Kurzfassung

The purpose of this analysis is to examine whether Chaser satellite equipped with a robot arm can be used to perform a deorbiting maneuver on a very heavy Target satellite. For this, two aspects are analyzed: the system response at the beginning and end of a thrust profile and the effects of an external torque caused by a misalignment of the two bodies. The dynamics of the system are examined analytically and subsequently verified in a numerical multi-body simulation. The results show that the system is inherently stable and needs very little intervention by the robot. With a particular off-modulation of the thrusters, separation between the two satellites can be avoided, without intervention of the robot.