Simulating Satellite-Servicing Missions with Robot Arms

Lúnasa Space builds mission-enabling technologies for in-orbit satellite services, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) industry. Using Lúnasa’s advanced technologies, satellites can identify, track, rendezvous, and service satellites in space for tasks such as refueling or repairs.

To validate these missions safely, the team needed an Earth-based robotic testbed that could accurately emulate satellite dynamics occurring in space—enabling precise, risk-free trials before launch.

Simulating the complex interactions between chaser and target satellites was critical to the project’s success. Equally important was the capacity and robustness of the robot arm to carry the payload of the satellite for near-accurate simulation.

Lúnasa also needed a modular solution that could re-use existing parts, reducing costs and simplifying future projects.

Lúnasa partnered with Vention to deploy a modular, two-robot system featuring a UR16e at the chaser station and a UR30 at the target station—selected for its ability to handle the satellite’s heavier payload.

Vention’s cloud-based MachineBuilder™ enabled fast iteration on mechanical designs, and the flexibility to re-use existing parts from the patented T-slot extruded aluminum ecosystem.

Vention also helped de-risk the project with case simulations using a digital twin to validate key data such as robot arm reach and movements. During deployment, Vention’s operations team ensured a rapid turnaround, delivering all the parts in just three weeks.

Through the entire design and deployment phase, Vention’s team collaborated closely with the Lúnasa team, to provide quick answers and solutions. Post-deployment, Vention’s support with MachineMotion Python API ensured a seamless programming experience.

With Vention’s MachineBuilder™, Lúnasa quickly designed and deployed a 7th axis robot application to bring their advanced testbed to life. The plug-and-play automation setup also made future upgrades easier for Lúnasa. They could simply reuse parts from the original setup and add only what was needed.

The robot 7th axis range extender application ensured precise, sub-millimeter control of robotic arms for Lúnasa. Vention’s team also seamlessly integrated the robot with a computer vision algorithm to adjust movements based on satellite positioning.

The actual deployed system now handles both feedback-driven and pre-set synthetic trajectories, enabling flexible and accurate motion. The successful deployment of the system and promising early results have opened up avenues for high fidelity simulations of Lúnasa’s algorithms for satellite dynamics— which brings them one step closer to redefining satellite servicing.