Telerobotic ground control of a space free-flyer

AERCam is a free-flying camera being developed by NASA to assist in Space Shuttle or Space Station operations. We have developed a system for controlling AERCam remotely from the ground when significant communication delays are involved and have simulated its use. Our telerobotic control system includes a predictive display [7] that is based on a simulation of Shuttle and AERCam dynamics. For a number of physical and numeric reasons, the behavior of the remote AERCam system may drift from what is expected by the predictive simulation on the ground. To correct for this, we have developed a technique for periodically reestablishing correspondence of the ground system with AERCam based on data about AERCam's actual behavior. Our system also provides a basis for development of more advanced autonomous AERCam ground control systems in the future.