Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
group
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Samantha Rogers, Junior Chloe Arnold Ava Laudadio
Lead Presenter's Name
Samantha Rogers
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Engineering
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Cagri Kilic
Abstract
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites operate in an environment that exposes them to cumulative radiation effects, micrometeoroids, and orbital debris, and limited opportunities for post-launch intervention. These factors can degrade satellite performance over time, leading to anomalies that may cause data corruption, mission failure, or require human intervention for repair. While previous on-orbit servicing efforts have demonstrated repair and life-extension capabilities, most have focused on Geosynchronous satellites or controlled test environments, leaving a gap in servicing concepts tailored specifically to LEO satellites.The O.S.C.A.R. (Orbital Servicing, Calibration, and Repair) project investigates the design of a robotic servicing system for inspecting, calibrating, and non-invasively repairing LEO communication satellites. By evaluating established servicing missions and published design data, this project evaluates feasible servicing actions, defines a constrained capability scope, and develops preliminary robotic tool and chassis concepts appropriate for supervised robotic operations. Over a 12-week, 6-day period, the project will produce a proof-of-concept design package that includes servicing requirements, prototype concepts, and a conference-ready research paper. The results are intended to inform future LEO servicing research, support satellite life-extension strategies, and provide a foundation for continued undergraduate research.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Included in
Robotics Commons, Space Vehicles Commons, Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Commons
Orbital Servicing Calibration and Repair (O.S.C.A.R.)
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites operate in an environment that exposes them to cumulative radiation effects, micrometeoroids, and orbital debris, and limited opportunities for post-launch intervention. These factors can degrade satellite performance over time, leading to anomalies that may cause data corruption, mission failure, or require human intervention for repair. While previous on-orbit servicing efforts have demonstrated repair and life-extension capabilities, most have focused on Geosynchronous satellites or controlled test environments, leaving a gap in servicing concepts tailored specifically to LEO satellites.The O.S.C.A.R. (Orbital Servicing, Calibration, and Repair) project investigates the design of a robotic servicing system for inspecting, calibrating, and non-invasively repairing LEO communication satellites. By evaluating established servicing missions and published design data, this project evaluates feasible servicing actions, defines a constrained capability scope, and develops preliminary robotic tool and chassis concepts appropriate for supervised robotic operations. Over a 12-week, 6-day period, the project will produce a proof-of-concept design package that includes servicing requirements, prototype concepts, and a conference-ready research paper. The results are intended to inform future LEO servicing research, support satellite life-extension strategies, and provide a foundation for continued undergraduate research.