Fixed-time position coordinated tracking control for spacecraft formation flying with collision avoidance

Attitude Tracking Control for Spacecraft Formation Flying

We develop a non-linear tracking control law to be applied to formation flying spacecraft. Each spacecraft in the formation is modeled as a rigid body with N axisymmetric wheels controlled by axial torques, and the kinematics are represented by Modified Rodriques Parameters (MRPs). The paper first derives the open-loop reference attitude, rate, and acceleration commands for tracking a moving ob...

Energy Suboptimal Collision-Free Reconfiguration for Spacecraft Formation Flying

Model Predictive Control for Formation Flying Spacecraft

Formation flying is an enabling technology for many future space missions. This thesis addresses some of the key dynamics and control issues expected in future missions by pursuing two areas of advancement: extensions of relative linear dynamics models and assessment and mitigation of sensor noise effects on control systems. Relative dynamics models play an important role in finding drift-free ...

Guidance and Control of Formation Flying Spacecraft

A key element of NASA’s future space exploration is high precision formation flying (FF) for space interferometry. Precision FF has never been attempted before and poses new and significant challenges to the underlying control system. While the guidance and control (G&C) methodologies of single spacecraft for traditional planetary flyby and orbiter missions are well-understood, the G&C of FF mi...

Efficient Control of Formation Flying Spacecraft

Several upcoming European and American space missions will be operated using a number of spacecraft flying in formation. The associated scientific challenges are demanding, both with respect to the construction of the spacecraft as well as to the mission design. For instance, energy efficient trajectories and corresponding control laws that enable precision formation flying over long periods of...