Formation Flying Satellite Control Around The L2 Sun Earth Libration Point

A growing interest in formation flying satellites demands development and analysis of control and estimation algorithms for station-keeping and formation maneuvering. This thesis discusses the development of a discrete linear-quadratic- regulator control algorithm for formations in the vicinity of the L2 sun-earth libration point. The development of an appropriate Kalman filter is included as well. Simulations are created for the analysis of the station-keeping and various formation maneuvers of the Stellar Imager mission. The simulations provide tracking error, estimation error, and control effort results. From the control effort, useful design parameters such as AV and propellant mass are determined. For formation maneuvering, the drone spacecraft track to within 4 meters of their desired position and within 1.3 millimeters per second of their desired zero velocity. The filter, with few exceptions, keeps the estimation errors within their three-sigma values. Without noise, the controller performs extremely well, with the drones tracking to within several micrometers. Bach drone uses around 1 to 2 grams of propellant per maneuver, depending on the circumstances.

This book presents the state of the art in numerical and analytical techniques as well as future trends associated with mission design for libration point orbits. It contains papers explaining theoretical developments and their applications, including the accurate description of some actual libration point missions of ESA and NASA. The existing software in the field and some applications beyond the neighborhood of the Earth are also presented. Special emphasis is placed on the use of dynamical systems methodology in the libration-point-orbits mission design.

These are the proceedings of the "AstroNet-II International Final Conference". This conference was one of the last milestones of the Marie-Curie Research Training Network on Astrodynamics "AstroNet-II", that has been funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme. The aim of the conference, and thus this book, is to communicate work on astrodynamics problems to an international and specialised audience. The results are presented by both members of the network and invited specialists. The topics include: trajectory design and control, attitude control, structural flexibility of spacecraft and formation flying. The book addresses a readership across the traditional boundaries between mathematics, engineering and industry by offering an interdisciplinary and multisectorial overview of the field.

Space agencies are now realizing that much of what has previously been achieved using hugely complex and costly single platform projects—large unmanned and manned satellites (including the present International Space Station)—can be replaced by a number of smaller satellites networked together. The key challenge of this approach, namely ensuring the proper formation flying of multiple craft, is the topic of this second volume in Elsevier’s Astrodynamics Series, Spacecraft Formation Flying: Dynamics, control and navigation. In this unique text, authors Alfriend et al. provide a coherent discussion of spacecraft relative motion, both in the unperturbed and perturbed settings, explain the main control approaches for regulating relative satellite dynamics, using both impulsive and continuous maneuvers, and present the main constituents required for relative navigation. The early chapters provide a foundation upon which later discussions are built, making this a complete, standalone offering. Intended for graduate students, professors and academic researchers in the fields of aerospace and mechanical engineering, mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics, Spacecraft Formation Flying is a technical yet accessible, forward-thinking guide to this critical area of astrodynamics. The first book dedicated to spacecraft formation flying, written by leading researchers and professors in the field Develops the theory from an astrodynamical viewpoint, emphasizing modeling, control and navigation of formation flying satellites on Earth orbits Examples used to illustrate the main developments, with a sample simulation of a formation flying mission included to illustrate high fidelity modeling, control and relative navigation

China Satellite Navigation Conference (CSNC) 2014 Proceedings presents selected research papers from CSNC2014, held on 21-23 May in Nanjing, China. The theme of CSNC2014 is 'BDS Application: Innovation, Integration and Sharing'. These papers discuss the technologies and applications of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and the latest progress made in the China BeiDou System (BDS) especially. They are divided into 9 topics to match the corresponding sessions in CSNC2014, which broadly covered key topics in GNSS. Readers can learn about the BDS and keep abreast of the latest advances in GNSS techniques and applications. SUN Jiadong is the Chief Designer of the Compass/ BDS, and the Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); JIAO Wenhai is a researcher at China Satellite Navigation Office; WU Haitao is a professor at Navigation Headquarters, CAS; LU Mingquan is a professor at Department of Electronic Engineering of Tsinghua University.

The subject of astrodynamics is of particular interest at this critical juncture for space projects in the wake of the Columbia disaster. This volume, based on a conference sponsored by NASA and Princeton University, comprises papers on the applications of chaos and dynamical systems (including considerations of asteroid pairs, near-Earth objects, and asteroidal dust); formation flying; optimization, guidance, and control systems; mission design; orbit dynamics; and propulsion, including material on NASA's major intiative, Project Prometheus. The volume is also of value to mathematicians for its discussion of chaos-related issues; to astronomers, astrodynamicists, and planetary geologists for its blueprint for the methodology of future space exploration; and to engineers for its discussion of innovations in space propulsion systems. It is also a must-read for commercial, economic, and military policymakers.