Automated Satellite Servicing Engineering Toolkit (ASSET)

The Automated Satellite Servicing Engineering Toolkit (ASSET) is a modular, 200-300 kg class spacecraft designed to perform robotic repair, life extension, and debris mitigation for high-value spacecraft in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). Current GEO satellites are typically launched with no capability for mechanical intervention after deployment; comparatively minor anomalies such as stuck solar array mechanisms, antenna misalignments, or propellant system faults can prematurely end missions while leaving massive, long-lived debris in critical orbital regimes. ASSET addresses this gap by combining a hydrazine monopropellant propulsion system, a high-precision robotic manipulation suite inspired by surgical robotic arms, and a guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) architecture for safe rendezvous and proximity operations with multi-ton GEO communications satellites. This paper presents the ASSET mission concept, spacecraft architecture, and a first-order technical feasibility assessment. A baseline system design is developed for servicing representative 3-4.5 metric ton GEO spacecraft. Mass, power, and ΔV budgets are estimated for a notional mission including transfer from a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) to GEO, rendezvous and docking, on-orbit servicing, debris relocation, and end-of-life disposal. The robotic system’s kinematic workspace and required joint torque envelopes are estimated for tasks such as latch release, panel deployment, component repair, and replacement. The GNC concept incorporates relative navigation and sensing using optical and LIDAR-based measurements to maintain safe approach corridors during rendezvous. A representative 200-300 kg ASSET configuration is shown to be capable of conducting multiple servicing operations within a GEO orbital neighborhood and subsequently executing controlled re-orbit maneuvers for debris disposal. While detailed hardware development, fault-tolerant control, and on-board autonomy remain for future work, this study demonstrates that a single, reusable servicing craft can materially reduce mission risk, extend GEO asset lifetimes, and contribute to a more sustainable orbital environment.