Analysis and tests of visual based techniques for orbital rendezvous operations

Advanced visual based techniques are proposed in this paper for the dual task of identifying a target and evaluating the relative position and attitude between a chaser and the target during a space rendezvous. The algorithm is first tested on a given image, and then implemented onboard a free floating platform. The experimental results of this rendezvous performed with the testbed in the lab are reported, showing remarkable performance that offers the basis for future developments of close proximity control strategies.