SROC: Space Rider Observer Cube Mission

The SROC project aims at demonstrating the CubeSat capabilities and technologies required for successfully executing a rendezvous and docking with another operational spacecraft. This objective is captured by the SROC mission concept involving the development of 12U CubeSat, which acting as Chaser, will perform rendezvous, proximity operations, inspection and docking with Space Rider, to be finally retrieved in the reusable transportation system and complete the re-entry. The preliminary design and the assessment of the risk associated to the Space Rider mission scenario led to purse the SROC objective through the achievement of an intermediate and complementary step involving: the in-orbit demonstration of rendezvous and docking operations between two collaborative 12U CubeSats and the on-ground qualification of the identified enabling technologies required to complete docking and retrieval operations in the Space Rider scenario. The development of a mission scenario targeting the rendezvous and docking between 12U CubeSats and the on-ground qualification of a docking/retrieval compatible Dispenser and Solar Panels solution represent the subject of this paper, and the core objectives of the current SROC project, developed by a fully Italian consortium in the framework the ESA General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The project aims to reach within Q1 2027 a detailed design at mission level, including the validation of the trajectory strategy, and at system level, including the design consolidation of the two CubeSats systems, the Dispenser and the Retractable solar panels solution. This achievement will pave the way for the in-orbit demonstration phase planned for 2028.