SPHERES interact - Human-machine interaction aboard the International Space Station

The deployment of space robots for servicing and maintenance operations, which are teleoperated from ground, is a valuable addition to existing autonomous systems since it will provide flexibility and robustness in mission operations. In this connection, not only robotic manipulators are of great use but also free-flying inspector satellites supporting the operations through additional feedback to the ground operator. The manual control of such an inspector satellite at a remote location is challenging since the navigation in threedimensional space is unfamiliar and large time delays can occur in the communication channel. This paper shows a series of robotic experiments, in which satellites are controlled by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Synchronized Position Hold Engage Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) were utilized to study several aspects of a remotely controlled inspector satellite. The focus in this case study is to investigate different approaches to human-spacecraft interaction with varying levels of autonomy under zero-gravity conditions.