Airsat: development of a two-dimensional free-flyer simulator

Space is evolving into a dynamic environment with expanding opportunities enabled by advancing technologies. From communication satellites and Earth observation to scientific exploration and future space infrastructure, the number of missions and systems operating in orbit continues to grow. With this expansion comes the need for more advanced technologies to manage, service, and interact with objects in space, especially in complex conditions like microgravity and in the presence of uncooperative or tumbling targets. Applications such as On-Orbit Servicing (OOS), Active Debris Removal (ADR), and autonomous inspection rely heavily on robotics and precise control. To develop and test these technologies, it’s essential to have reliable simulation platforms that can reproduce, at least partially, the dynamics of space. Conducting experiments in orbit is expensive and often impractical, so ground-based simulators—particularly those that replicate microgravity conditions—are a key part of the development process. This thesis focuses on the simulation of a robotic system designed for planar microgravity environments, with the goal of supporting research in autonomous space operations. The work includes modeling, control, and testing of a system that mimics the behavior of a free- floating satellite in space. The study covers the full development of the system, from the conception and realization of the physical robot to the modeling of its digital counterpart in MATLAB/Simulink, concluding with the design of a control strategy that ensures precise and stable performance under realistic operating conditions. As a final step, the robot was experimentally tested in a laboratory environment. ??