May the Electrostatic Force be With You: Charged Spacecraft Models

Remote electrostatic actuation provides a promising method for servicing or deorbiting spacecraft at geosynchronous orbit. This method requires electrostatic modeling more efficient than current commercial finite element analysis software. The Multi-Sphere Method (MSM) provides a way to model electrostatic effects faster than real time by replacing spacecraft with charged sphere distributions. This paper details the development of an optimization routine for MSM that allows it to be applied to more complex spacecraft geometries. The method is tested on a cylinder and a Tie Fighter, with a demonstration of the resulting increase in accuracy.