Product Features

Honeybee Robotics has been working since the late 1980s with the Structures Branch at NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC) on a diverse assortment of tasks relating to assembly of space structures and the design and development of techniques and mechanisms for LaRC’s robot assembly and servicing facility.

Engineering support provided by Honeybee has included the analysis, design and model fabrication of a continuous-surface deployable structure intended for on-orbit spacecraft servicing, Robotic/EVA-compatible Truss Joints, and an End-Effector Quick-Change System; development of telerobotic techniques for spacecraft servicing and on-orbit construction of structures, and placement and secure attachment of hexagonal-shaped reflectors to large space structures; design of a robotic test bed for erecting space structures, and a large (20-meter) automatically deployable solar dynamic reflector intended for use on space station Freedom; task analysis and design of a truss assembly insertion end effector, and a curved structure robotic assembly end effector ; and support on conceptual actuator designs for an on-orbit space crane.

Honeybee has been funded by LaRC to continue research and development efforts on a robot end effector to be used for installation of strut sections in large precision, doubly curved, and/or orthogonal space truss structures. The end effector must be capable of unlocking, removing, and inserting struts that have been previously installed in the structure. This operation must not interfere with adjacent struts, trays, or the mechanisms necessary for transfer operations of the trays. The end effector must be able to install all of the different length members within the truss structure. Cameras, sensors, a microprocessor, and interface electronics will also be incorporated into the end effector to monitor and evaluate system operations. Future applications of the technology include use on large space-based antennas, reflectors, feed booms, and platforms.