A Virtual Reality Testbed for Camera Simulation in Aerospace Applications

The Virtual Space Robotics Test bed serves as a decision support system in various space mission scenarios mostly rendezvous and docking (RvD), planetary landing and exploration. It is used for the generation of virtual images which allow the test of camera systems that are not yet available as real hardware systems. It gives the engineer the opportunity to combine different optical systems e.g. Lenses and sensors inside a Virtual Test bed. This environment serves as a decision support system in an early design phase of a project. How this is used in a real space application is described in this paper.