ESA GNC Conference Papers Repository

In the perspective of future applications such as Debris removal, Mars Sample Recovery, servicing and assembly missions, the capability of Non Cooperative Rendezvous is identified as a must. To develop the non-cooperative rendezvous technologies, new types of sensors, image processing and GNC algorithms shall be developed and tested. Studies stress the need for a GNC/Navigation based on image processing coming from LIDAR sensors for close Rendezvous and InfraRed cameras for far Rendezvous. The ATV5 mission offers an excellent but last opportunity of carrying in-flight experiments on a European vehicle performing a rendezvous with an orbital Infrastructure which cannot be performed on ground with any kind of resemblance. Airbus Defence and Space and ESA, proposed to use this last ATV opportunity to implement an experiment that will increase the TRL for Non Cooperative Rendezvous Sensors and GNC needed for future projects. The LIRIS Demonstrator is made of 2 parts, InfraRed and visible cameras, and LIDAR sensor. The objectives of the experiments are to fly new sensor technologies and evaluate their results in the context of the present GNC system on the ATV spacecraft. The testing is to cover the full range of presently practiced rendezvous from a far distance of more than 70 km, driven by the exploration requirements, until docking. The objective is to cover the full envelope of seeing the target as a point source, growing in the field of view and finally have the target fully resolved in the sensor. This will be covered by IR and visible cameras from far range to docking and a LIDAR sensor from short range (about 3.5 km distance) to docking. The sensors will be active during the ATV rendezvous with the ISS and during specific ISS fly-under to cover long-range objectives. This paper will describe the definition and implementation of the LIRIS Demonstrator: <br><br>The experiment developed by Sodern to acquire Infrared and visible images of the ISS during all the Rendezvous phase (from far range to close range) : LIRIS-1 <br><br>The experiment developed by JenaOptronik to acquire LOS and range data of the ISS from a LIDAR sensor during the close range of the Rendezvous : LIRIS-2 <br><br>Accommodation on ATV and the planned operations of the experiments during ATV5 Flight <br><br>Objectives and expected data from post-flight analysis.