Algorithm and Technology Development for Active Debris Removal at the Institute of Space Systems

To protect functioning satellites and manned vehicles as well as to prevent a cascade effect which might render the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) region unusable in the future, means of analyzing the space debris environment and removing high risk objects are necessary. Having a long heritage in the analysis and simulation of the debris environment with several in-house software tools (e.g. MASTER and PROOF), the Institute of Space Systems (IRAS) is currently expanding its expertise through the formation of a satellite technology workgroup, with the goal of closing the gap between expert knowledge in space debris assessment and technology development for active debris removal (ADR) and space situational awareness. The satellite technology group is applying hands on knowledge and technical knowhow to hardware component and mechanism development to actively make space a safer place. This paper introduces the new core research fields, the interconnection between them, as well as the research infrastructure at IRAS. The research areas include system reliability, system design, guidance, navigation and control (GNC) algorithms for far and close range proximity operations, docking strategies, and docking mechanisms based on smart materials, and detumbling operations.