servicing and repairing unmanned
satellites at space station
robots constructing colonies for men and
women to live and work together on the
moon and the planet mars
these are bold complex space missions
being considered by nasa for the 1990s
and well into the 21st century
to support these spellbinding space
adventures
nasa is directing an aggressive program
in automation
and robotics
one of the key nasa centers developing
state-of-the-art robotics for space
station freedom is nasa's goddard space
flight center just outside of washington
dc
goddard will develop the flight tele
robotics servicer called fts for short
for space station freedom
this includes the development of the fts
operational flight system a series of
test flights aboard space shuttle and
the development of a ground-based
research facility
goddard is responsible also for
transferring this high technology to
american industry and the public
enhancing the united states industrial
competitive posture
worldwide a tele-robotic servicer fts is
a robotic device that combines tele
operation using a human operator to
direct the machine
with autonomous capabilities for
performing tasks mostly by itself but
supervised by man
plans call for the fts to assist the
astronauts in the assembly of space
station freedom
while fts will be limited initially to
spacecraft servicing and maintenance
tasks
ultimately it will be able to reach
retrieve and service unmanned satellites
in an unprecedented manner saving
millions of dollars
servicing a spacecraft crippled in orbit
became a reality in 1984
when astronauts aboard the space shuttle
repaired the solar maximum mission
spacecraft so it once again could
continue its investigation of the solar
cycle
study contracts to develop fts concepts
have recently been completed for goddard
by grumman space systems and martin
marietta astronautics group
one of the two companies will be
selected for a final design contract in
the spring of 1989
when operational fts will improve
reliability productivity and safety and
will act as an aid to astronauts
also it will perform tedious and
hazardous tasks
to meet this technological challenge the
goddard space flight center is
developing a unique space robotics
facility
this facility housing a variety of
robots computers display systems plus
the full-scale mock-up of space station
hardware will be used by the goddard
robotics team to create test and
evaluate new robotic technologies
required to support the evolution of the
flight tele-robotic servicer
during the past year several
demonstrations were successfully
conducted at goddard
some highlights include the removal of
an orbital replacement unit by
industrial robots vision control docking
which permits the robot to find an
object and dock on it for removal
and voice control of cameras which
freeze the operator's hands for tele
operation
one of the key demonstrations was the
use of a forced reflecting master slave
tele-robot which successfully repaired a
full-scale mock-up of the solar maximum
mission spacecraft using the same
procedures performed in space in 1984
looking toward the future a gantry robot
will be installed in the robotics
facility by january of 1989 to
demonstrate fts operational tasks
the final goal of the fts program is to
move innovative concepts from research
into flight systems thus providing
spin-off benefits for the science and
industrial communities
goddard's long-range plan for the
robotics facility is to make it a
national resource for use by private
industry other government agencies and
universities to test and evaluate their
own concepts and hardware
working closely with the national
institute of standards and technology
nist
goddard's far-reaching goal for robotics
in space is the definition and
maintenance of a functional systems
architecture
the nasa nist standard reference model
for telerobot control system
architecture or nasrim has been selected
and developed by the fds program to fill
this national need
one of the unique technologies being
developed by goddard for the fts program
is a robot simulation system
this animated graphic system is being
used to emulate the control system for
robot configurations
and provide critical information
regarding the robot's reach capability
potential path planning collision
detection and avoidance
the flight tele robotics servicer aboard
space station freedom will revolutionize
america's space program
it will allow us to service and repair
both the space station and spacecraft
such as the hubble space telescope and
gamma ray observatory
conduct routine maintenance services and
replenish hazardous fuels
fts will also assemble spacecraft and
instruments which have been flown on
separate flights to the station by the
shuttle
the assembly of large instruments at
space station could have a major impact
in scientific investigations of the
cosmos and planet earth for generations
to come
nasa's development of robotics will
allow the united states to explore and
extend the endless boundaries of the
space frontiers
advancing science technology and private
enterprise
to support human settlements from the
highlands of the moon
to the plains of mars
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