AME Seminar: Eleonora Botta
Thursday, April 18, 2024 - 4:00 p.m.
Eleonora Botta
Assistant Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University at Buffalo
"Towards Autonomous Tether-Based Active Debris Removal: Modeling, Simulation, Estimation and Control"
AME Lecture Hall, Room S212 | Zoom Link
Abstract: For containing the growth of space debris, which jeopardizes operation of spacecraft, the active removal of large and massive derelict satellites and launcher upper stages is needed. A promising technology for this endeavor is the use of tether-based robotic systems. In this concept, a tether-net is thrown from a chaser spacecraft in the proximity of a target debris towards this target; the net entangles the target or closes around it and the tether connecting the net to the chaser provides a link to tug debris to its disposal orbit. Usually, the system is designed to be mostly passive; however, autonomy is key to operations in space.
Several projects taking place in the Space Systems Dynamics and Control Lab at the University at Buffalo aim to increase the autonomy of tethered systems for debris capture and de-orbiting. In this seminar, Dr Botta will present research focusing on the capture dynamics and control of tethered spacecraft and tether-nets in space. A simulation tool representative of a complete tether-net system will be presented, together with results that provide insight into the dynamics of tether-nets in space, such as the identification of safer scenarios for capture and validation activities. A dynamics model of a novel tether-actuated closing mechanism and its control strategy will be discussed. Recent developments will also be presented regarding a capture quality index apt to describe quantitatively the success of capture in large sensitivity studies and reliability analyses and its use for the concurrent optimization of the design of shape and action of net-based space debris capture system. Finally, recent results of estimation of the inertia properties of tethered targets after tether-based capture will be discussed, which pave the way to autonomous estimation and control for tethered systems involving uncooperative objects.
Bio: Eleonora Botta is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University at Buffalo, NY. She received a BEng degree in aerospace engineering, an MS degree in space engineering from Politecnico di Milano and a PhD in mechanical engineering from McGill University. Dr. Botta’s research and teaching interests are in dynamics and controls. Her main research areas are tethered space systems and active debris removal, but she is also interested in spacecraft trajectory optimization and formation flying. Her research is funded by the National Science Foundation. She is a member of AAS and AIAA, serves as the vice-chair of the AIAA Space Tethers Technical Committee, and is a member of the AAS Space Flight Mechanics Committee. She currently serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets and for Advances in Space Research. She recently received the UB SEAS Early Career Teacher of the Year award and the UB Mayerson Award for Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring.