Modularity, reconfigurability, and autonomy for the future in spacecraft: A review

The shape of a spacecraft is transitioning from monolithic, manual, and static to modular, autonomous, and dynamic. Modular Reconfigurable Spacecrafts (MRSs) offer better solutions than traditional monolithic spacecrafts in several aspects, and may become the next generation of spacecraft systems with efficient design, fast deployment, flexible application, and convenient management. This paper reviews the development and technology of MRS from three aspects: Modularity, reconfigurability, and autonomy. Despite the progress of research on MRS, there is still a lack of unified standards and little understanding of related concepts. Based on the understanding of basic concepts, the studies conducted on MRS are reviewed to identify technical requirements and solutions. Aiming at the future development trend of MRS, a novel modular self-reconfigurable spacecraft, referred to as MagicSat, is proposed. Furthermore, the MagicSat system composition, advantages, and application prospects are studied. The enabling technologies and major challenges of MRS are further analyzed in terms of modularization, integrated management, and self-reconfiguration technologies. Finally, the future development trend of MRS technology is predicted, and corresponding suggestions are provided.