Demonstrating the feasibility of ERA Operations from Ground

NLR,Voorsterweg 31, 8316 PR Marknesse The Netherlands wokke@nlr.nlINTRODUCTION In the framework of the ESA STEP programme, an industrial team has investigated various extensions to the baseline capabilities of the European Robotic Arm (ERA). The Study Team was led by Dutch Space and included NLR, SAS and Verhaert. The name of the study XEUS In-Orbit Assembly (XIOA) refers to the original target application: The assembly of a giant X-ray mirror for a next generation space telescope at the International Space Station (ISS). Shortly after the study started, the XEUS mission concept was changed, introducing new mirror technology and direct injection into a higher orbit, bypassing the ISS as an in-orbit assembly station. The objectives of the Study were adjusted accordingly, towards more generic extensions of ERA capabilities, increasing ERA s versatility for in-orbit assembly, including the handover of payloads and support the servicing of a free flying exposure facility. This paper we present one major enhancement to the ERA system: allowing ERA to be controlled from ground. In a separate paper in this conference [1], we describe other enhancements: the design of a new Capture Tool that will allow ERA to capture Free Flying payloads, the derivation of enhanced control settings allowing ERA to move substantially larger payloads, and the design of a new Controlled Docking strategy that will allow ERA to attach a large payload at a standard ISS docking interface. Figure 1 Testing of the new Ground Control System and On-Board Assistant in the ERA Mission Preparation and Training Facility at ESTEC