Design of a Foldable, Adhesive Crawling CubeSat for Space Station Operations

Project Leadership: Led a team of 5 in designing a spider-inspired CubeSat with foldable claws, mechanical legs, and detection modules for surface inspection, debris removal, and damage repair. The project was awarded 3rd prize in the IAF-CSA Space Universities CubeSat Challenge 2.0 for its innovative design and engineering solutions.

Project Overview

Institution: Sun Yat-sen University, ShenZhen, CN
Advisor: Prof. Jianing Wu
Duration: March 2022 - August 2023
Research Type: Team Research Project

CubeSat Folded State
Figure 1: CubeSat in folded state, showing compact configuration for launch or stowage.
CubeSat Spread State
Figure 2: CubeSat in spread (deployed) state, showing extended legs and operational configuration.

Technical Design

The CubeSat features several innovative design elements:

  • Spider-inspired foldable claws and mechanical legs for versatile movement
  • Detection modules for surface inspection, debris removal, and damage repair
  • Electrostatic adsorption system for secure attachment in microgravity
  • Lightweight and modular structure for easy deployment and maintenance

Research Methodology

The development process included:

  • Mechanical design and optimization using SOLIDWORKS
  • Simulation and analysis of structural performance
  • Exploration of electrostatic adhesion techniques for space environments
  • Iterative prototyping and testing for reliability

Key Achievements

  • 3rd prize in the IAF-CSA Space Universities CubeSat Challenge 2.0
  • Successful demonstration of foldable, adhesive crawling mechanism
  • Innovative integration of detection and repair modules
  • Optimized design for space station surface operations
Video 1: Basic introduction and demonstration of the Foldable Crawling CubeSat project.

Conclusion

This project demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of a foldable, adhesive crawling CubeSat for space station operations. The innovative mechanical design, combined with advanced adhesion and detection capabilities, provides a robust solution for inspection, debris removal, and repair tasks in space environments.

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