Introduction

Space ROS is an open-source software framework, derived from ROS 2 that will be hardened to be compatible with the demands of safety-critical space robotics applications. Conforming to the ROS 2 Application Programming Interface (API), Space ROS is designed to be platform independent, portable, and project independent. Space ROS will provide a robust framework for space robotics applications where ROS 2 applications can be reused with little to no modification, enabling the space community to take advantage of the innovation of the ROS community. This will shorten the time for development of novel space robotics capabilities, enable reuse of capabilities between missions, and lower the life-cycle cost of new space robotics missions.

The Space ROS project started with a joint agreement between Blue Origin and NASA. Space ROS is intended to be an open, community-driven effort and we welcome contributions and participation from other companies and organizations in the aerospace industry.

The following sections describe the motivation for Space ROS, how Space ROS is different from ROS 2, and the development and release model used for the project.

• About Space ROS
• How Space ROS Differs from ROS 2
• The Space ROS Development and Release Model