Advanced Autonomous Multiple Spacecraft Lab

Students conduct advanced spacecraft dynamics research using hardware-in-the-loop simulators. The lab prepares students for space systems and autonomy careers.

The Advanced Autonomous Multiple Spacecraft (ADAMUS) Lab provides a cutting-edge, ground-based hardware-in-the-loop testing facility, utilizing air-bearing robots as spacecraft simulators to rigorously validate guidance, navigation and control algorithms for spacecraft relative motion, proximity operations and maneuvering. The laboratory supports advanced research in spacecraft formation flight, on-orbit servicing and space debris removal, contributing to the development of innovative solutions for the next generation of space exploration and operations.

Equipment

• Air bearing-based spacecraft simulators designed to test spacecraft relative motion and attitude maneuvers.
• A 168” x 168” x 14” granite surface plate, providing a stable platform on which the simulators float on a thin film of air.
• PhaseSpace Motion Capture System used to accurately collect and record position and attitude data of the simulators.
• A Helmholtz cage to generate a controlled magnetic field, simulating the geomagnetic field in space.
• Moment of Inertia and Center of Gravity Measurement System to precisely determine the mass distribution and balance of the spacecraft simulators.
• Vibration table to simulate and test the response of spacecraft.
• CNC machine and 3D printer for the precise manufacturing of hardware components used in spacecraft simulators.