NASA technicians at Goddard Space Flight Center are using advanced AR headsets and other technologies to improve the assembly process of the Roman Space Telescope. This method allows for precise alignment of parts, saving time and reducing costs. The integration of augmented reality, QR codes and robotics not only streamlines construction, but also facilitates remote collaboration and improves installation accuracy. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
HAS NASAGoddard Space Flight Center, AR technology and robotics are revolutionizing aircraft assembly Roman space telescope by improving accuracy and efficiency, resulting in significant savings in time and money during construction.
- Augmented Reality Tools Helped Technicians Improve precision and save time on fit checks on the Roman Space Telescope being assembled at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
- In one case, manipulating a digital model of Roman’s propulsion system into the telescope’s actual structure revealed that the planned design would not accommodate existing wiring. This discovery avoided the need to rebuild components.
- The Goddard R&D team working on this AR project suggests that wider adoption in the future could potentially save weeks of construction time and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In this photo taken on February 29, 2024, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, the Roman Space Telescope’s propulsion system is positioned by engineers and technicians under the spacecraft’s bus. Engineers used augmented reality tools to prepare for assembly. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn
Innovative spacecraft assembly techniques
Technicians armed with advanced measuring equipment, augmented reality headsets and QR codes virtually checked the fit of some of the Roman Space Telescope’s structures before they were built or moved to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center facility in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“We were able to place sensors, mounting interfaces and other spacecraft components in 3D space faster and more accurately than previous techniques,” said Ron Glenn, a NASA engineer at Goddard. “This could represent a significant cost and schedule advantage for any program.”
Projecting digital models onto the real world allows technicians to align parts and check for interference between them. The AR head-up display also enables precise positioning of flight hardware for assembly with accuracy down to a thousandth of an inch.
Engineers wearing augmented reality headsets test the placement of scaffolding before it is built to ensure a precise fit in the largest clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credit: NASA
Advances in augmented reality for spacecraft
Using NASA’s internal research and development program, Glenn said his team continues to find new ways to improve how NASA builds spacecraft with AR technology in a project helping build Roman at NASA Goddard.
Glenn said the team accomplished much more than they initially set out to prove. “The initial goal of the project was to develop improved assembly solutions using AR and see if we could eliminate costly manufacturing times,” he said. “We found that the team could do much more.”
Improve efficiency with AR and robotics
For example, engineers used a robotic arm to precisely measure and 3D laser scan to map Roman’s complex wiring harness and volume inside the spacecraft structure.
“By manipulating the virtual model of Roman’s propulsion package in this setting, we found places where it interfered with the existing wiring harness,” said team engineer Eric Brune. “Adjusting the propulsion package before it was built allowed the mission to avoid costly and time-consuming delays.”
Roman’s propulsion system was successfully integrated earlier this year.
Considering the time needed to design, build, move, redesign and rebuild, Brune added, their work saved many engineers and technicians many work days.
“We have identified many additional benefits from these combinations of technologies,” said Aaron Sanford, an engineer on the team. “Partners at other locations can collaborate directly through the technicians’ perspective. Using QR codes for metadata storage and document transfer adds an extra level of efficiency, allowing quick access to relevant information at your fingertips. The development of augmented reality techniques for reverse engineering and advanced structures opens up many possibilities such as training and documentation. »
The Roman Space Telescope is a NASA mission designed to explore dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics.
Equipped with a powerful telescope and cutting-edge instruments, it aims to unravel the mysteries of the universe and deepen our understanding of cosmic phenomena. Roman is scheduled to launch in May 2027. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Future applications and cost savings
These technologies enable 3D designs of parts and assemblies to be shared or transferred virtually from remote locations. They also enable testing of the movement and installation of structures and help capture accurate measurements after parts are manufactured to compare them to their designs.
Adding a precision laser tracker can also eliminate the need to create elaborate physical models to ensure components are accurately mounted in precise positions and orientations, Sanford said. Even details such as a technician’s ability to physically extend an arm inside a structure to turn a bolt or manipulate a part can be worked out in augmented reality before construction.
During construction, an engineer wearing a hard hat can view vital information, such as torque specifications for individual bolts, with a wave of his hand. In fact, the engineer could do this without having to stop and search for the information on another device or in paper documents.
In the future, the team hopes to help integrate various components, perform inspections and document the final build. “It’s a cultural change. It takes time to adopt these new tools,” Sanford said.
“This will help us produce spacecraft and instruments rapidly, saving us weeks and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Glenn said. “It will allow us to return resources to the agency to develop new missions.”
This project is part of NASA’s FY 2024 Center Innovation Fund portfolio at Goddard. The Center Innovation Fund, within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, fosters and encourages creativity and innovation at NASA centers while meeting the technology needs of NASA and the nation.
