Logo
ScienceStack
Table of Contents
Fetching ...
Sign In

Towards Open-Source and Modular Space Systems with ATMOS

Pedro Roque, Sujet Phodapol, Elias Krantz, Jaeyoung Lim, Joris Verhagen, Frank J. Jiang, David Dörner, Huina Mao, Gunnar Tibert, Roland Siegwart, Ivan Stenius, Jana Tumova, Christer Fuglesang, Dimos V. Dimarogonas

TL;DR

This work presents ATMOS, an open-source, modular space robotics laboratory designed to bridge simulation and hardware testing for autonomous free-flyer platforms. It couples a low-cost resin epoxy floor, motion capture, and a scalable pneumatic actuation system with a bifurcated software stack (PX4Space and ROS 2) to realize hardware-in-the-loop experimentation. The authors explore three NMPC control schemes (direct allocation, body wrench, and body force with angular rate) and offset-free variants, plus an STL-based planner that enables single- and multi-agent missions validated through SITL and hardware experiments. The results demonstrate close alignment between simulation and real-world performance, with offset-free control mitigating disturbances and STL planning ensuring robust task satisfaction. Overall, ATMOS aims to lower replication barriers and enable rapid, open collaboration for space robotics research and education, with clear pathways to integration with established on-orbit software stacks like Astrobee FSW.

Abstract

In the near future, autonomous space systems will compose many of the deployed spacecraft. Their tasks will involve autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations with large structures, such as inspections, assembly, and maintenance of orbiting space stations, as well as human-assistance tasks over shared workspaces. To promote replicable and reliable scientific results for autonomous control of spacecraft, we present the design of a space robotics laboratory based on open-source and modular software and hardware. The simulation software provides a software-in-the-loop architecture that seamlessly transfers simulated results to the hardware. Our results provide an insight into such a system, including comparisons of hardware and software results, as well as control and planning methodologies for controlling free-flying platforms.

Towards Open-Source and Modular Space Systems with ATMOS

TL;DR

This work presents ATMOS, an open-source, modular space robotics laboratory designed to bridge simulation and hardware testing for autonomous free-flyer platforms. It couples a low-cost resin epoxy floor, motion capture, and a scalable pneumatic actuation system with a bifurcated software stack (PX4Space and ROS 2) to realize hardware-in-the-loop experimentation. The authors explore three NMPC control schemes (direct allocation, body wrench, and body force with angular rate) and offset-free variants, plus an STL-based planner that enables single- and multi-agent missions validated through SITL and hardware experiments. The results demonstrate close alignment between simulation and real-world performance, with offset-free control mitigating disturbances and STL planning ensuring robust task satisfaction. Overall, ATMOS aims to lower replication barriers and enable rapid, open collaboration for space robotics research and education, with clear pathways to integration with established on-orbit software stacks like Astrobee FSW.

Abstract

In the near future, autonomous space systems will compose many of the deployed spacecraft. Their tasks will involve autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations with large structures, such as inspections, assembly, and maintenance of orbiting space stations, as well as human-assistance tasks over shared workspaces. To promote replicable and reliable scientific results for autonomous control of spacecraft, we present the design of a space robotics laboratory based on open-source and modular software and hardware. The simulation software provides a software-in-the-loop architecture that seamlessly transfers simulated results to the hardware. Our results provide an insight into such a system, including comparisons of hardware and software results, as well as control and planning methodologies for controlling free-flying platforms.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 34 sections, 12 equations, 25 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Facilities
  3. Epoxy Floor
  4. Motion Capture System
  5. Pressurized Air Supplies
  6. Free-flyers Hardware
  7. Hardware Overview
  8. Pneumatic Section
  9. Actuation Modules
  10. Electronics
  11. Payload Hosting
  12. Free-flyers Software
  13. Software Architecture
  14. PX4Space
  15. Onboard Computer
  16. ...and 19 more sections

Figures (25)

  • Figure 1: The KTH Space Robotics Laboratory, with three ATMOS free-flyers operating on a flat floor. One free-flyer is equipped with a manipulator payload, while another is connected to a low-pressure tether system.
  • Figure 2: Floor level, in millimeters, after the first and second resin pour. Between pourings, the floor was measured and leveled through sanding. The measurements were obtained in a 30 grid, and the plots show a bilinear interpolation from these measurements.
  • Figure 3: The motion capture system is composed of six Qualisys M5 cameras - three are shown in (a) - and an active LED system onboard the free-flying platform, seen in (b). Each LED flashes at a unique frequency captured passively by the cameras, identifying both the LED and the rigid body pose in real-time.
  • Figure 4: Low pressure (10)̅ tether cable attached to one of the free-flying platforms. The tether cable can provide continuous, uninterrupted operation for unlimited time.
  • Figure 5: The ATMOS free-flyer. The platform is 40 wide and approximately 50 tall, with four sections: a pressurized section, an actuation section, an electronics section, and a payload section.
  • ...and 20 more figures

Theorems & Definitions (2)

  • Remark 1
  • Definition 1: Fragment of Signal Temporal Logic