Engineering the Orbital Cloud: Event-Driven Infrastructure for Space Proximity Operations As humanity transitions into a multi-operator, commercial space ecosystem, In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) has emerged as a critical foundational pillar. Autonomous proximity operations—where an uncrewed chaser vehicle must track, approach, and mechanically join with a tumbling orbital target with millimeter precision—are no longer just mechanical or astrodynamic challenges. They are high-throughput data engineering problems. Historically, verification of autonomous flight software relied heavily on expensive, physical ground facilities like air-bearing tables and robotic gantries. However, reproducing the conditions of zero-gravity, multi-body dynamics, and extreme orbital lighting profiles (solar glare, Earth albedo, deep shadow) inside a terrestrial laboratory is fundamentally limited. To overcome these constraints, the aerospace industry is undergoing a paradigm s...
Introduction Autonomous Orbital Rendezvous and Docking: Systems, Algorithms, and Missions serves as a comprehensive engineering blueprint for the next generation of space logistics, in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM). As Earth's orbit transitions into a vibrant, multi-operator commercial ecosystem, the ability for two or more uncrewed spacecraft to autonomously find, approach, and mechanically join with millimeter-level precision is the critical enabling capability. This text bridges the gap between classic astrodynamics and cutting-edge cloud-native computer systems. It details the complete architecture required for proximity operations: from the mathematical foundations of relative orbital mechanics and sensor fusion algorithms running on low-power edge flight computers, to the physical contact dynamics of capture mechanisms. Crucially, the book highlights a modern paradigm shift in space systems engineering: the absolute mandate for hybrid cloud architectu...