DYNAMIC MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A FLOATING SPACECRAFT SIMULATOR UTILIZING A KINOVA 7DOF ROBOTIC ARM

Abstract

This thesis presents the mathematical modeling of a novel floating spacecraft simulator (FSS) utilizing a Kinova 7-degrees-of-freedom (DoF) robotic manipulator. The FSS system modeled in this thesis enables research into on-orbit servicing platforms, a space technology capable of providing satellite refueling, repair, and space debris mitigation. To accurately represent the FSS system, a multi-body dynamics (MBD) model was employed. The initial phases of this research focused on modeling the robotic manipulator, which was later validated through simulations and physical hardware-in-the-loop testing. These tests verified that the developed robotic manipulator MBD model effectively captured the real-world dynamics of the Kinova arm. The MBD model for the robotic manipulator was then upgraded to incorporate the floating base of the FSS system. This expanded model underwent additional simulations, comparing its performance against hardware-in-the-loop testing of the real FSS system. The results of this testing confirmed that the established MBD model accurately modeled the observed performance of the existing FSS system. The refined MBD model of the FSS system presented in this thesis holds significant potential for enabling the development of future control algorithms and facilitating advanced simulations of the FSS system.