Patent ID: 8977391
Filing Date: 2015-03-10
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a location reference system configured to generate location information comprising position and orientation information for a number of mobile platforms in an environment, the position information including a three dimensional position of a mobile platform with respect to a reference point, and the orientation information including an angular rotation of a mobile platform with respect to a number of axes; a processor configured to identify characteristics for movement of a number of spacecraft in a non-Earth environment and to consider a number of conditions for the non-Earth environment in identifying the characteristics for movement; and a control module configured to identify characteristics for movement of the number of mobile platforms in the non-Earth terrestrial environment, to receive the location and orientation information for the number of mobile platforms from the location reference system; to generate command signals for the number of mobile platforms using the location and orientation information and the characteristics identified for the movement of the number of mobile platforms and the characteristics for movement of the number of spacecraft; and to send the command signals to the number of mobile platforms to operate the number of mobile platforms in the environment such that operation of the number of mobile platforms emulates operation of the number of spacecraft systems in the non-Earth terrestrial environment, the command signals including commands to operate the number of mobile platforms on a surface representing terrain of the non-Earth terrestrial environment, at least a portion of the control module positioned remotely from the number of mobile platforms.