RPOD Kit — Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking System
Obruta Space Solutions
Obruta's RPOD Kit is a turnkey hardware + software system enabling autonomous spacecraft docking: AI/computer-vision navigation, safety abort mechanisms, interface-agnostic, validated in a 17-month ISS on-orbit software campaign and awarded CAD $1M by the Canadian Space Agency.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- TRL
- 1
Normalised to common units so this product can be compared with others in its category. The supplier's own wording is below.
As published by the supplier
- System type
- Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD)
- Navigation
- AI/computer-vision autonomous; sensor fusion with host spacecraft
- Docking interface
- Interface-agnostic (no single docking standard required)
- Compatible propulsion
- Chemical and electric propulsion spacecraft
- On-orbit validation
- 17-month ISS software test campaign (NASA Astrobee robots)
- TRL milestone
- ISS-validated navigation; CAD $1M CSA award (Oct 2025) to raise TRL further
- Safety
- Built-in abort mechanisms
- Applications
- Inspection, refueling, life extension, hardware replacement, controlled deorbit, debris removal, cargo transport
- Founding
- 2019, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
About
The RPOD Kit (Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking) is Obruta Space Solutions’ commercial product enabling spacecraft to autonomously approach, inspect, dock with, repair, refuel, or deorbit other satellites. The system uses AI-driven computer vision (cameras rather than RADAR or LiDAR) for navigation, combined with sensor fusion with the host spacecraft’s existing sensors and built-in safety abort mechanisms. The RPOD Kit is interface-agnostic — it does not commit to any single docking standard — and is compatible with both chemical and electric propulsion spacecraft. Obruta validated the core navigation software in a 17-month on-orbit test campaign using NASA’s Astrobee free-flying robots aboard the International Space Station, and received a CAD $1 million award from the Canadian Space Agency in October 2025 to raise TRL and build a terrestrial validation facility. Applications include satellite inspection, orbital refueling, life extension, hardware module replacement (solar panels, reaction wheels, antennas), controlled deorbit, orbit relocation, and multi-target debris removal missions. Obruta Space Solutions was founded in 2019 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada by Kevin Stadnyk and Kirk Hovell, and earlier received CSA awards of CAD $350,000 (AI navigation R&D) and CAD $225,000 (computer vision R&D).
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.