Abstract
Space debris mitigation is a key technology for on-orbit servicing. In order for secure capture of space debris by a space robot, contact control with translational and rotational motion is necessary for detumbling and grasping the debris. This paper elaborates on collision experiments in micro-gravity and numerical simulations based on contact dynamics model. We examined contact characteristics with/without mechanical compliance, which is equipped on the space robot and needed for contact control by its robotic arms. On the basis of these analyses, we introduce theoretical contact conditions for relatively detumbling. The validity of the conditions is experimentally shown by using air-floating test beds in planar micro-gravity. The result contributes to relative motion control after contact.
