WASHINGTON — Katalyst Space, an Arizona-based startup, partnered with the European startup LMO Space to demonstrate a technique for spacecraft docking known as “assisted rendezvous and proximity operations” (RPO).
Katalyst developed a concept for assisted RPO using an Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), which is used to move spacecraft or payloads from one orbit to another after launch. This approach aims to simplify spacecraft docking operations and potentially reduce costs.
Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst, said the technology was selected by U.S. Space Command and AFWERX, the technology investment arm of the Department of the Air Force, as one of the winners of the “Sustained Space Maneuver Challenge.” This program seeks to harness commercial technologies for military applications.
Katalyst, which specializes in technologies for in-space services, secured a $1.9 million contract to develop the architecture. Under the partnership with LMO, the companies plan to demonstrate the concept in geostationary Earth orbit in 2026.
Lee said the company has booked a rideshare launch for the demo. The AFWERX contract supports the development of the assisted RPO technology but not the demonstration mission.
How assisted RPO works
Traditional RPO requires the servicing spacecraft to handle all aspects of the operation: launching, reaching orbit, performing rendezvous, and executing proximity operations with the target. The assisted RPO concept uses an OTV to move the servicing satellite closer to the desired location.
In Katalyst’s concept, an OTV will carry both a hosted payload and a deployable payload: The deployable payload (a freeflyer) will collect close-range imagery of the docking target. The hosted payload will collect range data from a second vantage point.
“The OTV and the freeflyer have different angles which gives us better precision,” explained Lee.
The data from both sources is analyzed by LMO’s machine learning software to enable docking with the target spacecraft without requiring LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a sensing technology typically used where visual tracking isn’t available or in non-cooperative environments.
Lee argued that there aren’t many robotic spacecraft capable of docking today, which limits the industry’s ability to perform servicing missions. The new approach could change that.
“Spacecraft docking has many useful applications, but due to the complexity and the cost, most applications are rarely operationalized,” said Lee. “This architecture has the potential to change those economics.”
The goal is to demonstrate that RPO can be performed with “simple visible cameras which are inexpensive and plentiful vs LIDARs which are expensive and have long lead times,” Lee added. “This means we can proliferate these capabilities much more rapidly than traditional RPO satellites.”
Military applications
For military users like the Space Force, the technology could enable spacecraft upgrades with new hardware at a distance. According to Lee, operations using assisted RPO would be less likely to be detected than those using a traditional robotic servicer spacecraft.
Michel Poucet, CEO of LMO, said his company is supporting the demonstration with its navigation software, Vision & Spectre, which was developed for space situational awareness and in-space servicing.
“This mission underscores the growing need to leverage commercial innovations to support national defense efforts in space. The partnership between LMO and Katalyst also highlights the strength of Luxembourg’s technology in supporting critical U.S. defense and space initiatives,” said Poucet.
Lee said an OTV for the demonstration mission has not yet been selected. “We have four OTV partners that we bid this year with the Space Force, we are in contracting negotiations.”
