Investigation of ADCS Components and Algorithms for CubeSat Based On-Orbit Assembly

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On-orbit assembly will be the next frontier in making space travel and commercialisation morefeasible. By performing manufacturing and assembly tasks in space, large scale structures can becreated which are unsuitable for launch due to volume and dimension limitations. This can enableadvanced orbital structures such as larger telescopes and solar arrays, and the ability to increase theoperational capability of missions using smaller less resource intensive launches [1]. While thedynamics of the individual components of the assembly have been examined in literature andvarious agents are currently developing modular spacecraft systems which may interface together toform a larger structure, there is a lack of research into suitable platforms for performing on-orbitassembly of externally manufactured structures.To perform this task and maintain the reduced cost benefits of on-orbit assembly, this project willinvestigate and develop a standardised platform for performing assembly tasks. Specifically, thisproject will investigate the Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) components andalgorithms necessary to create an on-orbit assembly vehicle. This will be constrained by thestandardised 10cm by 10cm CubeSat format which has been growing in popularity recently due to itsconvenience in saving launch volume [2]. This format presents limits on the volume, power, andcomputational resources available to complete these tasks, and will therefore be a point of interestduring research.The proposed methodology is to evaluate and compare possible control algorithms for on-orbitassembly and assess the capabilities of the current CubeSat hardware to support these algorithms.Following this the CubeSat hardware can be revised and developed to provide an optimal platformfor on-orbit assembly using the chosen control architecture. This will culminate in a full prototypeusing the rapid prototyping and experimentation capabilities of the Space Research Group, allowingthe designed hardware and controller to be verified.This work will tie in with other areas of research within the group allowing collaboration with otherresearchers, and release of cumulative findings over the course of the project. The final output ofthe research is a potential collaboration with researchers focused on on-orbit control ofmanipulators, which when combined with the CubeSat design provides a full assembly platform for future missions.