Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We present a demonstration showcasing the Autonomy Testbed for Multi-purpose Orbiting Systems (ATMOS), a planar spacecraft-analog robot designed for hardware-in-the-loop evaluation of guidance and control strategies in microgravity-like conditions. Using ATMOS as the physical test platform, we investigate the design, analysis, and performance evaluation of control architectures for remotely operated spacecraft under round-trip communication delays. In this work, we develop and experimentally validate a control strategy that combines state prediction and trajectory tracking control to perform a docking maneuver, accounting for time-varying random communication latency between ground operators and the ATMOS system. The demonstration includes a long-distance remote control experiment between Seoul and Stockholm, introducing realistic intercontinental delays and variability. The results highlight the capability of ATMOS to support rapid, reliable, and cost-effective testing of spacecraft teleoperation concepts, establishing a first step toward robust validation of on-orbit operations in microgravity-like environments.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Jang, Inkyu, Marchesini, Gregorio, De Carli, Nicola, Kim, Byeongjun, Hwang, Sunwoo, Kim, Dabin, Krantz, Elias, Kong, Youngkyoung, Jiang, Frank J., Wong, Annika, Roque, Pedro, Sanjaya, Prasetyo W. L., Bastianello, Nicola, Dhullipalla, Mani H., Johansson, Karl H., Shim, Hyungbo, Dimarogonas, Dimos V., Kim, H. Jin
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G8558275530
OpenAlex ID: W7203618988