Session
Advanced Technologies Research & Academia 2
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
On-orbit assembly enables modular, adaptable satellite architectures that bypass traditional launch volume and deployment response-time constraints. The Orbital Locker (ORLO) project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explores this shift in space operations with a prototype-scale demonstration. Standardized satellite sub-U modules are stored within a free-flying mothercraft and assembled on demand by an onboard Cartesian gantry robot, which electrically and mechanically mates the modules into complete 1U and 2U CubeSats as a prototype-scale demonstration. Once assembled, the CubeSat is electrically verified and deployed from the mothercraft into its target orbit.
The ORLO prototype integrates a locker frame, Cartesian gantry robot, and four classes of standardized sub-U modules: a controller module, a visible imaging module, an infrared camera module, and a power utility module. The locker frame and robotic system are designed to survive the launch environment, securely store modules, and maintain reliable assembly operations on orbit.
The integrated ORLO system was subjected to qualification-level vibration testing per the SpaceX Falcon 9 User’s Guide, with white-noise resonance mapping conducted before and after exposure. Fundamental frequencies exceeded 45 Hz in all axes, surpassing the 35 Hz minimum requirement for secondary structures. Peak frequency shifts remained below 2.5% across all axes and measurement locations, well within the 5% acceptance criterion, confirming that no structural components cracked, loosened, or shifted under the induced vibrational loads. Post-test functional verification confirmed full motor operability. A comprehensive vibration, thermal vacuum, radiation, and lifetime testing campaign to advance the standardized modules to Technology Readiness Level 6 is ongoing. Together, these results provide a validated qualification framework for robotic in-space assembly systems and support the viability of on-demand satellite deployment architectures.
Document Type
Event
Design, Assembly, and Qualification Testing of a Modular On-Orbit CubeSat Assembly System
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
On-orbit assembly enables modular, adaptable satellite architectures that bypass traditional launch volume and deployment response-time constraints. The Orbital Locker (ORLO) project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explores this shift in space operations with a prototype-scale demonstration. Standardized satellite sub-U modules are stored within a free-flying mothercraft and assembled on demand by an onboard Cartesian gantry robot, which electrically and mechanically mates the modules into complete 1U and 2U CubeSats as a prototype-scale demonstration. Once assembled, the CubeSat is electrically verified and deployed from the mothercraft into its target orbit.
The ORLO prototype integrates a locker frame, Cartesian gantry robot, and four classes of standardized sub-U modules: a controller module, a visible imaging module, an infrared camera module, and a power utility module. The locker frame and robotic system are designed to survive the launch environment, securely store modules, and maintain reliable assembly operations on orbit.
The integrated ORLO system was subjected to qualification-level vibration testing per the SpaceX Falcon 9 User’s Guide, with white-noise resonance mapping conducted before and after exposure. Fundamental frequencies exceeded 45 Hz in all axes, surpassing the 35 Hz minimum requirement for secondary structures. Peak frequency shifts remained below 2.5% across all axes and measurement locations, well within the 5% acceptance criterion, confirming that no structural components cracked, loosened, or shifted under the induced vibrational loads. Post-test functional verification confirmed full motor operability. A comprehensive vibration, thermal vacuum, radiation, and lifetime testing campaign to advance the standardized modules to Technology Readiness Level 6 is ongoing. Together, these results provide a validated qualification framework for robotic in-space assembly systems and support the viability of on-demand satellite deployment architectures.
