A Modular High-Fidelity Photorealistic Simulator of Orbital Scenarios: A Space Debris Removal Use Case

The recent exponential increase in space debris poses a significant and growing threat to the sustainability of space activities. Many Active Debris Removal (ADR) methods and concepts have been proposed over the past decades. However, most of them are still in the technological development stages. Due to the complexity of space missions and the high stakes involved, as well as the complicated and dynamic nature of space environments, the utilization of simulators is paramount in the development of ADR technologies. This article reports the ongoing work on the high-fidelity simulation environment for near-field on-orbit scenarios, which is known as the ALL-STAR Simulator. The orbital dynamics, photo-realistic visualizations, and robotic system implementation being integrated into the simulator are outlined. A specific use case of the ADR mission using the robotic capture system developed by SpaceR is also presented, integrating a gecko-inspired adhesive to the simulator; future work for enabling Software-In-the-Loop and Hardware-In-the-Loop testing for ADR technologies, as well as the extension of diverse space applications, is discussed.