3DOF Proximity Flight Emulation with a Planar Air-Bearing Testbed

Validation of planning, control and autonomy algorithms for spacecraft proximity operations is difficult as the space environment is frictionless and in freefall (unlike the surface of the Earth) while being inaccessible for testing. A common supplement to digital simulation for spacecraft system validation is to use planar air bearing testbeds, in which physical spacecraft stand-ins move over a horizontal flat surface on a thin air cushion, thus exhibiting approximately frictionless and gravity-free 2D motion. This paper reports on the development of such a testbed for the Dalhousie University Intelligent Systems Lab, its design, construction and validation.