A Concept for a Robotic Servicing for the Next-Generation LEO System

Abstract

The Telecommunications Advancement Organization of Japan (TAO) is currently planning a high-bandwidth multimedia telecommunications system built around a low-earth-orbit (LEO) constellation called the Next-Generation LEO System (NeLS). The NeLS is intended to utilize 120 satellites in a rather high LEO (1200 km), and the removal of failed and spent satellites from their orbits is important so that the system’s contribution to the increasing amount of space debris is limited. Communications Research Laboratory workers have been studying a satellite service concept called the Orbital Maintenance System (OMS), that will take care of satellites in orbit, including the inspection of failed satellites, the removal from and return to orbit of failed and spent satellites, and the simple repair of failed satellites. We are now considering a system (OMS for NeLS) in which small robotic satellites are used. The small satellites are able to remove NeLS satellites from their orbits, even after the target satellite has failed or its connection has been lost. In this paper, we introduce the concept of, and the R&D plan for, the OMS for the NeLS.