Multibody Modeling of a Serial Manipulator for In-Space Applications

Launching satellites into orbit presents insurmountable constraints related to the cost directly proportional to the weight of the cargo and the volume it occupies. In-orbit assembly or in-space fabrication (ISM) itself is a possible solution to these problems, involving the production of artifacts in low Earth orbit (LEO) through various manufacturing processes suited to microgravity conditions. A small robotic island would reduce the problem of sending the necessary instrumentation and raw materials for production. This makes it possible to manufacture various products from small satellites to large structures. One possible configuration is the combination of additive manufacturing and robotics, using a 3D printer for the production of semi-finished products and a robotic arm for their handling and assembly, respectively. The present work focuses on the preliminary study of a serial manipulator for use within a robotic platform for in-orbit assembly of CubeSat nanosatellites. The objective is to model the robotic island in a multi-body SimScape environment and analyze the kinematic and dynamic behavior of the manipulator by planning trajectories for the main steps of the fabrication process.