Electro-Optical based relative navigation for close-range inspection and rendezvous in the SpEye CubeSat-based mission

The execution of autonomous In-Orbit Servicing operations is expected to play a crucial role to preserve and enhance satellites’ performance, as well as to ensure a sustainable use of outer space. In this respect, several research efforts are dedicated to addressing the technological challenges that characterize the development of an autonomous Guidance, Navigation and Control system. In this framework, the Space Eye (SpEye) mission, funded by the Italian Space Agency, aims to demonstrate safe and inexpensive on-orbit inspection of a target satellite, using a CubeSat-based free flying nanosatellite. This paper, which stems from the Phase A mission study, describes the high-level architectural design of its electro-optical based relative navigation subsystem, employing multi-sensor algorithmic approaches based on the combination of visual, laser, and Differential Global Navigation Satellite System measurements. A dedicated environment is developed for the simulation of measurements from the relative navigation suite (including a synthetic image generator) allowing a preliminary performance assessment of the proposed algorithmics approaches.