Grants and Contributions

Rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) are necessary for all inter-spacecraft interactions in space. This includes in-space services such as crew & cargo transportation to the International Space Station, refueling or repairing satellites, reusable logistics, space debris removal, and beyond. Legacy RPOD systems are large, consume large amounts of power, and are extremely expensive. Obruta’s modern solution, called the RPOD Kit, is designed for modern satellites and provides virtually any spacecraft with RPOD capabilities to simplify the process of satellite servicing while making spaceflight safer. While Obruta’s autonomous flight software has been developed and tested in space, the accompanying hardware sensor components and overall system must be tested. This project focuses on the testing and validation of Obruta’s RPOD Kit to prepare it for an inaugural spaceflight mission and to reestablish Canada as a world leader in RPOD technology.

This project involves building a very realistic simulator tool to generate the most accurate imagery possible. This imagery will be used to improve, train, and test advanced computer vision algorithms and AI models. Obruta’s computer vision and RPOD Kit will make spaceflight safer and more sustainable by enabling space debris removal, refuelling satellites already in orbit, recycling old satellites, and space domain awareness.

Current spacecraft docking systems are large and require lots of power due to the sensors used. This project develops modern monocular computer vision algorithms utilizing a combination of classical methods and artificial intelligence which enables the use of lightweight, inexpensive, and less power-intensive optical sensors when compared to Lidar and Radar sensors used in traditional spacecraft docking systems. The harsh lighting of the space environment reduces the reliability of vision-based systems. New algorithms and applied machine learning techniques are used to overcome such major challenges of vision-based spacecraft relative navigation systems. The development of such a system builds on Canada’s extensive heritage of spacecraft docking systems and has potential Earth-based applications with autonomous drones, manufacturing, agriculture robotics, and more. This project will create jobs for three highly qualified personnel and help situate Canada as an autonomy leader within the space sector.

Current spacecraft rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking systems typically rely on human-monitored or controlled Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) systems. This project focuses on the research and development of autonomous GNC software specifically for spacecraft rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking applications. Autonomous systems are advantageous as they allow for operation without human intervention, do not rely on intermittent communication windows, work in highly challenging environments (i.e. around the Moon or Mars), and are highly scalable. This project proposes the development of an autonomous GNC system that enables fully autonomous spacecraft docking. This project creates jobs for four highly qualified personnel and is a building block capability for the sustainable use of space through enabling satellite services such as refuelling and space debris removal, while also having Earth-based applications to make the robotics we interact with safer.

(20STDPM01) Space debris is becoming a growing and ever more present issue as low Earth orbit continues to become populated with an increasing number of satellites and other objects each year.

Currently, there exists no established methods or services for actively capturing and removing debris on-orbit. The only methods to avoid collisions are to maneuvers endangered satellites out of possible collisions and to wait for debris to de-orbit and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. This feasibility study is proposing the research and development of novel tether and net technology for the capture and stabilization of unstable and high-risk debris. The system boasts the ability to capture and stabilize debris tumbling about all of its three axes, the ability to capture multiple objects in a single mission, and to change the altitude of captured debris to remove them from the operational orbits of other satellites.