Description
The objective of the activity is to develop and test a digital-twin for on-orbit assembly and manufacturing of antennas up to 30-50metres diameter. An end-to-end manufacturing process will be selected and guidance, navigation and control techniques for assembly and manufacturing on-orbit will be developed. A simple large reflector antenna will be designed, and assembly and manufacturing will be evaluated with the developed digital twin.Targeted Improvements: Enabling in-orbit assembly and manufacturing of large antennas.Description: The development of on-orbit manufacturing capability of large antennas could be a game changer enabling new types ofservices (e.g. direct to handheld), business models (e.g. modular satcom systems) and satcom deployment philosophy. Today, a numberof concepts have been explored for large antennas (e.g. assembly of reflector tiles and structure, assembly of reflector membrane on in-situ-manufactured frame, photocuring of reflector surface), considering various candidate materials, assembly, joining and manufacturing processes (e.g. robotic assembly, additive manufacturing, adhesive bonding...). However there is a lack of a manufacturing end-to-end procedures and techniques to take into account the gravitational, thermal, radiation and attitude and orbital control when assembling and manufacturing large antennas on-orbit.This activity will develop and test a combined hardware and software digital-twin of on-orbit assembly and manufacturing for antenna reflectors of up to 30-50m diameters. The digital twin architecture shallbe modular, reconfigurable for different mission scenarios and shall be able to simulate:- the end-to-end on-orbit manufacturing and assembly process including quality monitoring and control- on-orbit spacecraft dynamics created by the assembly and integration,with special focus on the variation of the spacecraft inertia and flexible modes as well as on any relevant effects of contact dynamics- on-board guidance, navigation, attitude and orbit control system- relevant spacecraft static and dynamic mechanical elements and all manufacturing elements(e.g. robotic arm, motor, tray to hold the parts to be assembled)Trade-offs shall be carried out considering RF performance and antenna reflector on-orbit manufacturing and assembly techniques. A large reflector antenna shall be designed, the associated end-to-end manufacturing and assembly process shall be developed, implemented, and tested with the developed digital twin. Critical manufacturing steps shall be experimentally characterised in laboratory environment.