Leveraging the Autonomous Mobile On-Orbit Diagnostic System to Initiate a Doctrinal Shift in Spacecraft Operations

The goal of the Autonomous Mobile On-Orbit Diagnostic System (AMODS) is to use the small satellite platform to provide a conventional satellite with cost-effective on-orbit assessment and repair services. AMODS, which will service both new and legacy spacecraft, is comprised of (1) several “repair” CubeSat-class satellites (RSats) with manipulable arms that will latch onto and locomote around a host satellite; and (2) one self-propelled transport CubeSat (BRICSat) designed to successively deliver multiple RSats to their respective host spacecraft on-orbit. AMODS will be validated in three phases. Phase one focuses on propulsive and proximity operations of the BRICSat vehicle and includes the launch of BRICSat-P on 20 May 2015 and BRICSat-D in 2017. Phase two, the 2017 launch of the prototype repair unit, RSat-P, will validate the on-orbit effectiveness of compact robotic manipulators. The follow-on launches will continue to improve performance of both satellites in order to demonstrate key capabilities that will make the AMODS vision a reality. This publication presents an overview of the AMODS system and its potential to effect a paradigm shift in space operations. It details the considerations and required capabilities that guided the design of the BRICSat transfer vehicle and the robotic manipulators and end-effectors on the RSat unit.