Date of Award

6-2026

Degree Name

MS in Aerospace Engineering

Department/Program

Aerospace Engineering

College

College of Engineering

Advisor

Stephen Thiam-Choy Kwok-Choon

Advisor Department

Aerospace Engineering

Advisor College

College of Engineering

Abstract

Growing interest in nanosatellites has increased demand for accessible ground-testing methods, which have historically been expensive and restricted. Floating Spacecraft Simulators (FSS), built around Air Bearing Vehicles (ABVs), address this gap by approximating a zero-gravity, friction-minimized environment suitable for testing spacecraft control systems, robotics, and propulsion on the ground.

This thesis presents the design, realization, and initial performance characterization of the Space Optically Tracked Testbed for Experiments and Research (SpaceOTTER) ABV, developed for the Cal Poly Space Robotics Lab. SpaceOTTER is the first step toward emulating the 3 degree of freedom (3-DOF) planar dynamics of a simulated spacecraft and is intended to serve as both a teaching tool and a research asset for students and faculty at the university.

Testing confirmed that SpaceOTTER achieved its 3-DOF navigational requirements within the mass and spatial constraints of a 12U CubeSat. Demonstrating a 17-minute free-float capability and providing auxiliary power and pneumatic supplies, the platform is ready for hosted payloads. Experimental trials successfully estimated the vehicle’s core dynamic parameters and evaluated its eight subminiature cold-gas solenoid thrusters. These baseline characterization results validate SpaceOTTER as a highly capable testbed. Future work will focus on resolving identified anomalies, refining characterization values, developing a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) control law, and integrating a reaction wheel for advanced mission profiles.

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