HOTDOCK® selected as the standard interface in H2020 Space Robotics projects

After a challenging design and maturation process carried out by Space Applications Services since Q4 2018 and a series of thorough reviews involving ESA, DLR, CDTI, UKSA, ASI, CNES and the European Commission (EC), we are glad to announce that our HOTDOCK® interface has been adopted as the Standard Interface to tackle the challenges of the MOSAR project – Modular spacecraft assembly and reconfiguration using a walking manipulator.

Furthermore, HOTDOCK® will be used as the Standard Interface in:

• PULSAR project – In space assembly of telescope mirror tiles
• PRO-ACT project – Robotic assembly of lunar infrastructure.

The three projects are paving the way to space robotics in-orbit servicing and planetary surface operations with the support of grants from the EC H2020 programme.

Space Applications Services will be responsible for producing and delivering a minimum of 50 HOTDOCK® units by Q2 2020 to the partners of these projects.

At the occasion of the SRR of the MOSAR project led by Space Applications Services, on July 9^th, a metal Quality Model of HOTDOCK® was satisfactorily demonstrated in a robotic servicing scenario in laboratory conditions.

In parallel to these H2020 projects Space Applications Services is developing a space grade version of HOTDOCK® with a target IOD window in Q1 2021.

HOTDOCK® is an androgynous 90 degrees symmetry interface that, by design, can accommodate a large variety of demanding on-orbit robotics applications (e.g. ORU, large structures assembly or modular spacecraft assembly and reconfiguration, attachment points for manipulator), planetary robotics applications (e.g. tools exchange, ORUs, battery swapping, refueling, trailer and convoy coupling) as well as Earth applications (e.g. automotive, logistics industry, marine applications).

HOTDOCK® is available as a laboratory/evaluation model (end 2019) and as a flight model (end 2020) for commercial exploitat­­­­­­ion, please contact us for more technical and commercial information.

References:

• HOTDOCK
• H2020 MOSAR (OG9) project: https://www.h2020-mosar.eu/
• H2020 PRO-ACT (OG11) project: https://www.h2020-pro-act.eu/
• H2020 PULSAR (OG8) project: https://www.h2020-pulsar.eu/
• PERASPERA PSA: https://www.h2020-peraspera.eu/