Spacecraft, free-falling satellites perform 'delicate dance'.

• Author: Beidel, Eric
• Position: Defense Technology News

* While active satellite and spacecraft rely on thrusters to control movement, retired space assets tumble at high speeds through their orbits.

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This causes a problem when a spacecraft needs to rendezvous with a satellite in free fall. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is working with researchers around the world--including high schoolers--to solve the problem of synchronizing the movements of tumbling objects in space.

Scientists began their research as part of a competition to control bowling ball-sized SPHERES--synchronized position, hold, engage and reorient experimental satellites--aboard the International Space Station. Teams used algorithms in exercises during which the spheres simulated an active spacecraft approaching an object tumbling through space. At least one of the teams was successful in every scenario presented.

To bring the research to scale, DARPA will transition findings to another program aimed at developing technologies to reuse components from retired communications satellites in...