A Review of Advancements in Inspection, Manufacturing and Repair, and Robots for On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) of Spacecraft

Abstract

Since the first successful on-orbit repair mission in 1984 to the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite, considerable progress has been made in the field of On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) of spacecraft using either human-guided or autonomous robots. This article aims to provide a review of state-of-the-art efforts in this field and the necessary technologies to achieve the ultimate objective of autonomous spacecraft repairs while in orbit. The article covers the literature relevant to OSAM, including a brief overview of OSAM, inspection technologies, manufacturing and repair technologies, state-of-the-art robotic technologies capable of performing the required tasks, and intelligent path planning of robots. The article also highlights the research’s location, timeframe, and public versus private sector efforts, and outlines future directions in this field. This article aims to foster a community of researchers and public-private partnerships working towards the common objective of autonomous robotic inspection and repair of on-orbit spacecraft.