Design and grasp analysis of a berthing system for cubesat satellites

This PhD work is dedicated to the development of a berthing system working on the grasping small satellites CubeSats. The idea to prolong life of the popular form-factor of the small satellites called CubeSat is researched in this work. The research covers problems and requirements for docking and berthing with application to the CubeSat type of small satellites. The proposed solution is focused on the grasping part of the berthing process. Unlike the existing solutions, this work is dedicated using geometry of the CubeSat to grasp them. The PhD work covers CubeSats’ formfactors from 1U to 12U. For this work, grasping is discussed as the planar task for the CubeSat’s square shape profile. This thesis proposed a novel modelling framework for geometry-based grasping and a new gripper designed according to the developed guidelines. To model and validate the berthing process, the conceptual solution is represented as the berthing system including the base station, the manipulator, and the gripper. Main attention is given to the gripper design with conceptual and mechanical solutions. The proposed idea of grasping is realized by double slider-crank mechanism with one d.o.f. and translational grasping motion. One of the features of the gripper is the ability to fold. Berthing process is validated in Autodesk Inventor in case of manipulator motions and grasping CubeSat in preset position. The improved model is built using 3D printing to validate grasping process with successful laboratory test grasping the CubeSat model which repeats main geometry properties.