The TITAN robotic arm, developed by the Warsaw-based company PIAP Space, will enable on-orbit inspection, repair, and upgrades of satellites. This advanced solution was created as part of a project funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). The engineering model of the arm has already undergone tests in an environment simulating orbital conditions.
Currently, tens of thousands of active and inactive objects orbit Earth—and this number continues to grow each year. In this increasingly congested space, the risk of collisions and malfunctions rises significantly. That’s why the development of autonomous inspection and servicing technologies in orbit has become one of the priorities for ESA and the broader space sector, the company stated in its announcement.
Until now, when a satellite worth millions of euros stopped functioning, the only option was to deorbit it and replace it with another costly unit. Today, PIAP Space—a subsidiary of the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements—has announced the completion of development and testing of the TITAN tool prototype.
“With the TITAN robotic arm, it will be possible to inspect, repair, and upgrade satellites directly in orbit. The project, carried out under an ESA contract worth €2.6 million, has successfully passed a full suite of tests in conditions simulating real orbital environments. The technology is now ready for the next phase—integration into future servicing missions in space,” the company announced.
Photo: press materials
Servicing Satellites in Orbit
The TITAN system is designed to be installed on a servicing satellite capable of performing inspections, capturing other satellites, and replacing parts. The arm has a reach of up to 2 meters and features exceptional precision—with a positioning accuracy of 0.5 mm and orientation accuracy of 0.1 degrees.
Moreover, TITAN can be equipped with various tips, grabs and manipulators tailored to the specific mission. The device can be used for satellite capture, repairs, or even refueling operations.
“TITAN is the most advanced robotic manipulator ever developed in Poland—and likely one of the most cutting-edge in Europe. We designed it to be not only precise but also highly versatile. Thanks to its modular architecture, it can be scaled for a variety of orbital and exploratory applications. What’s more, the arm’s sealed design enables it to operate in dusty environments—such as the regolith-covered surface of the Moon—opening the door to its use in planetary exploration missions,” said Paweł Paśko, Head of the Mechatronics Section at PIAP Space.
Development of the TITAN arm continues within projects such as IOSHEX (In-Orbit Servicing HEXagonal module), project, carried out by SAB Aerospace in cooperation with ESA. This initiative envisages that the Polish robotic arm or its variants will assemble and disassemble used satellite parts and transfer them to the Space Rider spacecraft – an unmanned reusable space transportation system. The IOSHEX module will remain in orbit as a service station, while the Space Rider will transport new parts from Earth and take used parts back for recycling.
Photo: press materials
The first systems like TITAN could be used in space before the end of this decade.
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