The challenge of satellite stabilization, particularly those with uncertain flexible dynamics, has become a pressing concern in control and robotics. These uncertainties, especially the dynamics of a third-party client satellite, significantly complicate the stabilization task. This paper introduces a novel adaptive detumbling method to handle non-rigid satellites with unknown motion dynamics (translation and rotation). The distinctive feature of our approach is that we model the non-rigid tumbling satellite as a two-link serial chain with unknown stiffness and damping in contrast to previous detumbling research works which consider the satellite a rigid body. We develop a novel adaptive robotics approach to detumble the satellite by using two space tugs as servicer despite the uncertain dynamics in the post-capture case. Notably, the stiffness properties and other physical parameters, including the mass and inertia of the two links, remain unknown to the servicer. Our proposed method addresses the challenges in detumbling tasks and paves the way for advanced manipulation of non-rigid satellites with uncertain dynamics.

Transportation missions in aerospace are limited to the capability of each aerospace robot and the properties of the target transported object, such as mass, inertia, and grasping locations. We present a novel decentralized adaptive controller design for multiple robots that can be implemented in different kinds of aerospace robots. Our controller adapts to unknown objects in different gravity environments. We validate our method in an aerial scenario using multiple fully actuated hexarotors with grasping capabilities, and a space scenario using a group of space tugs. In both scenarios, the robots transport a payload cooperatively through desired three-dimensional trajectories. We show that our method can adapt to unexpected changes that include the loss of robots during the transportation mission.

Two space companies are teaming up on a planned 2022 mission that could help open up the off-Earth economy.California-based Momentus and Made In Space Europe (MIS EU) have finalized a memorandum of understanding to develop the flight to Earth orbit, the companies announced last week. If all goes according to plan, Momentus' Vigoride space tug will be outfitted with one of MIS EU's advanced robotic arms, which "will perform cooperative capture and manipulation of microsatellites," MIS EU representatives said in a statement.Related: Electric-powered lunar space tug could facilitate future moon missions"This demonstration mission will provide us with an understanding of how robotic arms can improve in-space transportation," Jaroslaw Jaworski, general manager of Luxembourg-based MIS EU, said in the statement. "We are looking to critically evaluate the viability of these two highly advanced, commercial technologies working within a fully integrated system." Momentus is developing space tugs powered by water plasma thrusters. These spacecraft are designed to get satellites to a variety of custom orbits, carrying them from the initial orbits that their rockets provide.Vigoride, which is scheduled to fly for the first time late this year, is just one member of the Momentus line.