CONFERS to Establish “Rules of the Road” for On-Orbit Servicing of Satellites
October 6, 2017 | DARPAEstimated reading time: 1 minute
“Rules of the road”—widely accepted norms of safety-related behavior based on common understanding—have existed in various forms over the centuries, and have evolved as new technologies have revolutionized how people and vehicles travel. But how are these “rules” created when common understanding of new capabilities is not yet established? This question plays directly into why DARPA has initiated its Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) program, with Phase 1 awarded to a team led by Advanced Technology International (ATI), based in Summerville, South Carolina.
The lack of clear, widely accepted technical and safety standards for responsible performance of on-orbit activities involving commercial satellites remains a major obstacle to further expansion of commercial and government space operations, and could put long-term sustainability at risk. To help overcome these challenges and provide the foundation for a new commercial repertoire of robust space-based capabilities, CONFERS envisions a permanent, self-sustaining, and independent forum where industry could collaborate and engage with the U.S. Government in research about on-orbit servicing, as well as drive the creation of standards that servicing providers and clients would adopt.
Through collaboration with carefully chosen industry and government space experts and stakeholders, the consortium aims to benefit the entire on-orbit servicing industry by building common understanding between developers, operators, customers, investors, insurers, and government policy makers while protecting commercial participants’ financial and strategic interests. The standards would be broad enough to allow individual companies to pursue their own implementations of these standards to suit their individual businesses, while assuring that the implementations adhere to best practices for operational safety.
“The emerging capability to finally conduct cooperative, fully robotic servicing operations on orbit stands poised to fundamentally transform the way that we build, operate, and replace spacecraft—but we need to agree how to do it safely and responsibly,” said Todd Master, a program manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office (TTO). “CONFERS seeks era-transforming improvements through research to develop the first ‘rules of the road’ for cooperative on-orbit operations. We believe these standards will both accelerate the commercial servicing marketplace and provide the foundation for safe and responsible space-based capabilities for the 21st century and beyond.”
Suggested Items
Two Industry Rising Stars Recognized at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/17/2024 | IPCTwo of the industry’s best and brightest were presented with an IPC Rising Star Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in recognition of their leadership roles and support of IPC standards, education, advocacy, and solutions to industry challenges. Award recipients were Naim Kapadia and Michael Schleicher.
Two Long-time IPC Volunteers Receive Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award
04/17/2024 | IPCThe Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship award was presented to two IPC volunteers at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. The award recipients have fostered a collaborative spirit, made significant contributions to standards development, and have consistently demonstrated a commitment to global standardization efforts. Tiberiu Baranyi and Zhiman Chen were chosen as award recipients as they embody the work ethic and spirit of the late Dieter Bergman, an industry pioneer and icon. As part of the award, they bestowed Dieter Bergman Memorial Scholarships to the university or college of their choice.
The Connection Between Wire Harness and Box Build
04/17/2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Christina Rutherford is a technical lead and expert in materials engineering at Honeywell, where her specialty is the design, specification, and manufacture of cables and wire harnesses. Rutherford also sits on the committee for IPC/WHMA-A-620. In this conversation, we explore the changing dynamics in wire harnesses and how they relate to box build. Christina’s standards work allows her to draw insightful parallels between wire harness and box build.
Three Industry Leaders Receive IPC President’s Award
04/17/2024 | IPCIn recognition of their leadership and significant contributions of time and talent to IPC and the electronics industry, three IPC volunteers were presented with the IPC President’s Award at IPC APEX EXPO in Anaheim, Calif., on April 9, 2024.
Phil Kinner Pushes His Limits in Engineering and Running
04/17/2024 | Linda Stepanich, IPCEngineers break things on purpose. They like the challenge of putting things back together and making them stronger and more resilient. The skills engineers use to build products can also be used to rebuild their lives after a personal loss, something Phil Kinner learned when he laced up his running shoes after many years of a sedentary lifestyle.