2025-04-12 12:05
publication
2025-04-12 12:05
Conducting inspection, repair and modernization of satellites directly in orbit will allow the Titan's robotic arm. This is the construction of the Warsaw company PIAP Space, developed in the project of the European Space Agency. The armling model of the arm has already undergone tests in an environment that simulates orbital conditions.
There are several thousand active and inactive objects around the earth today, and this number is growing every year. In this thickening space, it is easier for collisions and failures. Therefore, the development of automatic inspection and service technologies in orbit is today one of the priorities of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the entire space sector – it was recalled in a message sent to PAP on Wednesday.
Until now, when the satellite was worth working for millions of euros, it had to be deorbited and replaced with another expensive orbit. Now PIAP Space – Spółka -Daughter Łukasiewicz – Industrial Institute of Automation and Measurement – announced the completion of the construction and tests of the Titan tool model.
“Thanks to Titan's robotic shoulder (…) it will be possible to conduct inspection, repair and modernize satellites directly in orbit. (…) The project, implemented under an ESA contract worth EUR 2.6 million (…), has undergone a full set of tests in an environment simulating real orbital conditions. The technology is now ready for the next step – integration as part of service missions in space, “it was written in a statement.
As explained, Titan can be installed on a service satellite, which will be able to, among others Inspection, capture another satellite or replace its parts. The arm has a range of up to 2 meters and is extremely precise – it has positioning accuracy of 0.5 mm and 0.1 degrees orientation.
In addition, Titan can be equipped with various tips, grippers and manipulators adapted to the specifics of the mission. The device can be used, among others for capturing satellites, repairs or refueling.
“Titan is the most advanced robotic manipulator developed in Poland, and probably also one of the most modern of its kind in Europe. We designed it so that it is not only precise, but also universal. Thanks to modular architecture, it can be scaled to various applications – both orbital and exploratory. What's more, the proper sealing of the structure will also adapt it to work in circles full of dust – like the regolital surface of the moon – which opens the way to its use in planetary exploration missions, “said the head of the Mechatronics Section in Piał Space Paweł Paśko quoted in the message.
Work on the Titan construction is on, among others As part of the iOSHEX (in orbit servicing hexagonal module – orbital hexagonal service module), implemented by SAB Aerospace together with ESA. The project assumes that the Polish robotic arm or its variants will assemble and disassemble the used parts of the satellites and transfer them to the Space Rider ship – the unmanned reusable space transport system. The ioshex module will remain in orbit as a service station, and Space Rider will transport new parts from the ground and take back to recycled.
As we read in a message, the first systems such as Titan can be used in space in this decade.
The prototype of the device will be presented during ESA Space Security Conference in Warsaw on April 14-15. (PAP)
Abu/ agt/
