New Glenn Booster Robotic Approach

Sponsor:

Blue Origin

Industry Mentor:

Chad Schepel

Faculty Adviser:

Kristi A. Morgansen

The New Glenn 1st stage booster will alnd down range autonomously on a vessel out at sea. After landing, the following connections will need to be made with the vehicle: power, communications, and nitrogen supply. Ideally, these connections would happen as soon after landing as possible in order to minimize the amounts of these commodities that need to be carried onboard. The landing vessel will not have people on it during the landing operation for safety reasons. Some amount of time is required to safe the vehicle prior to transferring personnel back onto the vessel. A robotic system that can approach the vehicle and make these connections shortly after landing would provide a significant operational capability.