ISAM and Lunar Exploration: Some Current Researches at Politecnico Di Torino

The development of space-based services and the plans to set up large space stations as well to colonize, explore and utilize the Moon and Mars in the next decades requires the development of a enabling technologies, for both orbital and planetary applications. Most of them will require the use of robotic systems, which can act autonomously or by remote control. Moreover, the problem of ensuring reliable, continuous and copious energy supply for all the systems must be faced, especially for Moon exploration. The paper introduces some research efforts about these topics, which are ongoing in the research groups of the two authors, at Politecnico di Torino, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. A first research topic is related with in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM): within this area new tools to analyze, model and design proximity operations are under development as well as new robotic architectures for orbital operation, involving inflatable parts. The paper introduces the goals of these research efforts and the adopted methodologies. Then the topic of planetary exploration is analyzed, and some preliminary results obtained in the development of a spherical rover intended for exploration and inspection are shown. Finally, the research project DESIGN, founded by AS I, is introduced, which intends to study an energy supply system for the Moon based on a constellation of satellites orbiting around the Moon to harvest energy from the Sun and on laser based wireless power transmission towards the surface. The project involves also the development of technologies for wireless power transmission on Moon surface from a fixed receiver towards users, such as mobile rovers or remote sensors or transmitters.