ASTRO and Nextsat readied for thermal vacuum testing

_{ROB COPPINGER / LONDON}

‘Dynamics of space’ to be replicated for proving of satellite and servicing spacecraft

Thermal vacuum tests of the Boe­ing Autonomous Space Transport Robotic (ASTRO) spacecraft and its rendezvous target, Ball Aerospace’s prototype client satellite Nextsat, begin next month.

Developed for the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Orbital Express programme, once in orbit the two vehicles will separate to a distance of 7km (4.3 miles) and then ASTRO will engage in proximity and rendezvous operations with Nextsat using its laser radar and infrared cameras. Once docked it will service a satellite by replacing batteries and supplying propellants.

If successful, ASTRO would form the basis for a new type of satellite servicing spacecraft, which could be deployed from 2009. Nextsat has many features that could be added to future satellites to enable on-orbit servicing.

“The thermal vacuum tests will simulate the dynamics of space. We typically may have engineering issues there [due to the huge changes in temperature],” says Boeing Orbital Express programme manager Paul Geery. ASTRO will use the AVGS (advanced video guidance system) sensor for approaching Nextsat.

AVGS was used by NASA’s Demon­stration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology vehicle, which had problems during its orbital proximity operations 12 months ago. Geery says NASA had improved AVGS software for ASTRO. The combined ASTRO/Nextsat spacecraft is the primary payload on a US Air Force Atlas to be launched from Cape Canaveral during a 12 October-12 November launch window.

Source: Flight International