RPOD Kit
A turnkey package of sensors and software that lets a spacecraft rendezvous with and dock to another one autonomously, intended as the enabler for refueling, life extension and debris removal.
Why it matters
Every servicing business depends on safe, reliable docking. Selling it as a kit means a new servicing company does not have to build its own guidance and docking system from scratch.
How the technology works
The kit fuses data from the host's sensors with its own navigation sensors, plans the approach, and builds in safe aborts. It works with chemical or electric propulsion and most docking interfaces, but is meant for cooperative targets.
The AI vision and path-planning software was tested on Astrobee robots on the ISS in 2024 and 2025.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction