The Orbital Express flight demonstration was established by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and validate key technologies required for cost-effective servicing of next-generation satellites. A contractor team led by Boeing Advanced Network and Space Systems built two mated spacecraft launched atop an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on March 8, 2007. The low earth orbit test flight demonstrated on orbit transfer of hydrazine propellant, transfer of a spare battery between spacecraft and the ability to replace a spacecraft computer on orbit. It also demonstrated autonomous rendezvous and capture (AR&C) using advanced sensor, guidance, and relative navigation hardware and software. This paper summarizes the results of the on-orbit performance testing of the ARCSS (Autonomous Rendezvous and Capture Sensor System). ARCSS uses onboard visible, infrared and laser rangefinder sensors to provide real time data and imagery to the onboard sensor computer. The Boeing-developed Vis-STAR software executing on the sensor computer uses the ARCSS data to provide precision real-time client bearing, range and attitude as needed, from long range to soft capture. The paper summarizes the ARCSS and Vis-STAR on orbit performance.


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    Title :

    Orbital Express Autonomous Rendezvous and Capture Sensor System (ARCSS) flight test results



    Conference:

    Sensors and Systems for Space Applications II ; 2008 ; Orlando,Florida,United States


    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2008-05-01





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English






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