Alignment systems and methods for moving fuselage structures of an aerospace vehicle into assembly alignment

A system for moving a first fuselage structure and a second fuselage structure of an aerospace vehicle into assembly alignment, the system comprising:

• a manipulator system including at least one assembly actuator for independently supporting and moving the first fuselage structure into assembly alignment with the second fuselage structure;
• and
• a measurement system independent of the manipulator system for determining position of the first fuselage structure relative to the second fuselage structure while the first and second fuselage structures are supported on the manipulator system, wherein each of the first fuselage structure and the second fuselage structure includes a plurality of seat tracks assembled thereon, the seat tracks of the first fuselage structure and the second fuselage structure being longitudinally aligned when the first fuselage structure and second fuselage structure are aligned for coupling, the measurement system including:
• a first transmitter and a second transmitter arranged on the first fuselage structure, the first transmitter being indexed to a first seat track of the first fuselage structure and the second transmitter being indexed to a second seat track of the first fuselage structure;
• and
• a first reflector target associated with the first transmitter and a second reflector target associated with the second transmitter, the first reflector target being indexed with a first seat track of the second fuselage structure and the second reflector target being indexed to a second seat track of the second fuselage structure, wherein the first seat track of the first fuselage structure is aligned with the first seat track of the second fuselage structure and the second seat track of the first fuselage structure is aligned with the second seat track of the second fuselage structure when the first and second fuselage structures are aligned and coupled together.

A method for moving a first fuselage structure and a second fuselage structure of an aerospace vehicle into assembly alignment, the method comprising:

• coupling a first transmitter to the first fuselage structure such that the first transmitter is indexed to a first seat track of the first fuselage structure;
• coupling a first reflector target to the second fuselage structure such that the first reflector target is indexed to a first seat track of the second fuselage structure and cooperates with the first transmitter to provide measurements indicative of positions of the first fuselage structure relative to the second fuselage structure;
• coupling a second transmitter to the first fuselage structure such that the second transmitter is indexed to a second seat track of the first fuselage structure;
• coupling a second reflector target to the second fuselage structure such that the second reflector target is indexed to a second seat track of the second fuselage structure and cooperates with the second transmitter to provide measurements indicative of positions of the first fuselage structure relative to the second fuselage structure;
• coupling at least one assembly actuator to the first fuselage structure;
• and
• actuating the at least one assembly actuator to move the first fuselage structure into assembly alignment with the second fuselage structure based upon a first measurement provided by the first transmitter and the first reflector target and a second measurement provided by the second transmitter and the second reflector target.

A method for moving a first fuselage structure and a second fuselage structure of an aerospace vehicle into an assembly alignment, the method comprising:

• coupling at least one actuator to the first fuselage structure;
• coupling a first transmitter and a second transmitter to the first fuselage structure, the first transmitter being indexed to a first seat track of the first fuselage structure and the second transmitter being indexed to a second seat track of the first fuselage structure;
• coupling a first reflector target associated with the first transmitter and a second reflector target associated with the second transmitter to the second fuselage structure, the first reflector target being indexed with a first seat track of the second fuselage structure and the second reflector target being indexed to a second seat track of the second fuselage structure, wherein the first seat track of the first fuselage structure is aligned with the first seat track of the second fuselage structure and the second seat track of the first fuselage structure is aligned with the second seat track of the second fuselage structure when the first and second fuselage structures are aligned and coupled together;
• determining an initial position of the first fuselage structure relative to the second fuselage structure in response to measurements provided by a measurement system comprising the first and second transmitters and the first and second reflector targets;
• and
• actuating the at least one assembly actuator based upon the measurements provided by the measurement system to change the position of the first fuselage structure relative to the second fuselage structure and thereby to move the first and second fuselage structures into assembly alignment.