Guidance And Control Technology Of Spacecraft On Elliptical Orbit

This book introduces readers to the navigation, guidance and control technologies involved in single-spacecraft, double-spacecraft, and multiple-spacecraft tasks in elliptical orbits. It comprehensively covers the key technologies of guidance, navigation and control (GNC) system design for spacecraft in elliptical orbits, including the orbit design, formation configuration design and maintenance, autonomous navigation technology and relative navigation technology, as well as autonomous rendezvous technology. The methods that this book introduces are very close to actual practical engineering applications and presented in an accessible style. The book can serve as reference teaching material for senior undergraduates and postgraduates with space navigation related majors, while also providing essential information and guidance for research personnel and engineering technical personnel engaged in the development of GNC systems for spacecraft.

Non-cooperative spacecrafts are those current or future assets in orbit which have lost their control authority in one or more degrees of freedom and cannot convey any information concerning their position, attitude or rates to facilitate Rendezvous and Docking/Berthing (RVD/B) process. A growing field of study in space research is to develop On-Orbit Servicing (OOS) technology capable of dealing with these space- crafts, called targets, which are designed without any intention to be serviced. To render services such as repair, refuel or removal of the target from orbit, the chaser spacecraft should exhibit sophisticated RVD/B technology for formation fly and final stage docking/berthing operations of the mission. Assuming that the terminal capture operations of the target are to be performed by a suitable manipulator system on-board chaser, this study relies upon proven technology and outlines guidance and control methodologies to achieve rendezvous during proximity phases. The entry gate of chaser after phasing can be defined at a distance of about 5 km in ± V-bar direction from the target in its orbit. To account for errors in modeling, navigation or actuation, proximity range operations from the entry gate are decomposed into three different subphases as far range, inspection or fly around and closer approach. From the entry gate and along the path of the chaser two hold points are defined: first to initiate an inspection and the second, which is close to the safe zone defined around the target, to initiate a capture. The chaser is assumed to perform a station keeping maneuver at the second hold point until initial conditions for the capture are met. Possible scenarios pertaining to the behavior of the target in a circular orbit are considered and guidance schemes for different subphases are presented using a combination of Hill-Clohessy-Willtshire (HCW) solution, elliptical fly around, glides- lope algorithm etc. Relative controllers both for position and attitude of the chaser are also presented. A Linear Quadratic (LQ) controller for relative position and a Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller for relative attitude with angular velocity constraints are chosen to track down the error to achieve rendezvous and attitude synchronization with the non-cooperative target. A comparative analysis between different guidance trajectories for important parameters such as time, fuel usage, minimum absolute distance and the maximum radial distance from the target is presented. Verification of the proposed guidance and control methods is done by applying them to two different case studies: the first study incorporating a stabilized target in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and the second, with a spinning target in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The methods presented here are general and provide a simulator to the chaser to perform rendezvous analysis with non-cooperative targets. To achieve RVD/B, the study proposes a careful combination of guidance solutions for different phases of proximity operations, and for different scenario’s of the target encountered by the chaser.

This brief addresses the design of model predictive control algorithms for performing space rendezvous manoeuvres. It consolidates developments within guidance and control algorithms, with the aim of improving the efficiency, safety, and autonomy of these manoeuvres. The brief presents several applications of model predictive control to rendezvous manoeuvres, including Ankersen zero-order-hold particular solution1, which provides a realistic thrust profile. It offers new approaches for rendezvous manoeuvres in elliptical orbits, formulating obstacle avoidance constraints, passive safety constraints, and robustness techniques. It also compares finite-horizon and variable-horizon formulations for model predictive control in the context of performance and computational complexity. Predictive Control for Spacecraft Rendezvous is accessible to academics and students new to the topics of orbital rendezvous and model predictive control, but also presents compelling subject matter for researchers and professionals in the aerospace industry.

An extensive text reference includes around an asteroid – a new and important topic Covers the most updated contents in spacecraft dynamics and control, both in theory and application Introduces the application to motion around asteroids – a new and important topic Written by a very experienced researcher in this area

This book focuses on the theory and design methods for guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) in the context of spacecraft rendezvous and docking (RVD). The position and attitude dynamics and kinematics equations for RVD are presented systematically in accordance with several different coordinate systems, including elliptical orbital frame, and recommendations are supplied on which of these equations to use in different phases of RVD. The book subsequently explains the basic principles and relative navigation algorithms of RVD sensors such as GNSS, radar, and camera-type RVD sensors. It also provides guidance algorithms and schemes for different phases of RVD, including the latest research advances in rapid RVD. In turn, the book presents a detailed introduction to intelligent adaptive control and proposes corresponding theoretical approaches to thruster configuration and control allocation for RVD. Emphasis is placed on the design method of active and passive trajectory protection in different phases of RVD, and on the safety design of the RVD mission as a whole. For purposes of verification, the Shenzhou spacecraft’s in-orbit flight mission is introduced as well. All issues addressed are described and explained from basic principles to detailed engineering methods and examples, providing aerospace engineers and students both a basic understanding of, and numerous practical engineering methods for, GNC system design in RVD.

This book is devoted to Control System Technology applied to aerospace and covers the four disciplines Cognitive Engineering, Computer Science, Operations Research, and Servo-Mechanisms. This edited book follows a workshop held at the Georgia Institute of Technology in June 2012, where the today's most important aerospace challenges, including aerospace autonomy, safety-critical embedded software engineering, and modern air transportation were discussed over the course of two days of intense interactions among leading aerospace engineers and scientists. Its content provide a snapshot of today's aerospace control research and its future, including Autonomy in space applications, Control in space applications, Autonomy in aeronautical applications, Air transportation, and Safety-critical software engineering.