This paper gives a short overview of the multibody and contact dynamics based modelling and simulation activities
performed at the German Aerospace Center. These cover two different applications, one in the orbital satellite servicing
field and a second one in planetary explorations with rovers, specifically on Mars and Moon. Both topics require efficient
and reliable contact dynamics modelling for both, satellite grasping and capturing and for the interaction between
rover wheels and soft and hard planetary soils, i.e. the power transmission from the wheel actuators to the ground. Although
the two applications areas, at first glance, are not necessarily common to each other, the contact dynamics modelling
approach for both areas can rely on the same algorithms