A space technology inspired by geckos and octopuses has returned home from the International Space...
A space technology inspired by geckos and octopuses has returned home from the International Space Station (ISS) after a successful test campaign.
Wisconsin-based Kall Morris Inc. has developed its new nature-inspired technology to handle and service satellites with much greater ease than traditional robotic arms.
The technology could vastly improve satellite servicing capabilities. Beyond maintenance, it could also correct orbit and capture space debris for disposal in graveyard orbit or in Earth’s atmosphere.
A dexterous robotic arm for space operations
Kall Morris’s new robotic arm can handle a wide range of different space objects. According to a report from MSN, the companys’ robotic arms, called the Responsive Engaging Arms for Captive Care and Handling (REACCH), can capture objects as small as a basketball (roughly 250 mm in diameter). However, it can also latch onto objects with the same rough diameter as a 3-point line on a basketball court (approximately 6.5 m).
In an interview with Upper Michigan’s Source, Kall Morris co-founder and CEO Troy Morris described his company’s technology as a “tow truck for space.”
“These mechanical linkage arms can deploy non-destructively and reversibly against unprepared objects,” Morris continued. “Much like an octopus in the ocean, it gives us the capability to selectively grab things even if there’s no docking port or attachment piece, really opening up the opportunities for what can happen in space.”
Kall Morris tested a four-arm variation of REACCH aboard the ISS. The company aims to commercially deploy a full-sized eight-arm machine by 2027. However, the ISS tests used four arms due to safety and size restrictions. In a press statement, the firm explained that REACCH performed 172 capture cycles during its mission aboard the ISS. It then returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule – CRS-32 – on May 25 this year.
Taking cues from nature
Kall Morris’s robotic arm was funded largely through partnerships with the US Space Force and Air Force. The technology takes cues from geckos, which are able to climb walls due to hair on their feet, as well as octopuses, which are able to manipulate objects with great dexterity.
“Microstructures to mimic what geckos are using to climb windows, climb walls,” Morris said in his interview with Upper Michigan’s Source. “We’re able to combine that with the octopus mechanisms to be able to bring a creation that you wouldn’t find in nature, but it’s exactly what we need.”
Technologies like REACCH are crucial for the future of space operations. Space agencies and private space companies are sending satellites to orbit at a higher pace than any other time in history. They are also looking to improve the return on their investment by servicing these satellites and lengthening their lifespan.
Crucially, space debris is also a growing problem due to the vast amount of machinery orbiting Earth. Technologies such as REACCH can help to smoothen the process of deorbiting debris and preventing Earth’s orbit from becoming increasingly congested.