A Guidance and Navigation Strategy for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations with a Noncooperative Spacecraft in Geosynchronous Orbit

Abstract

The feasibility and benefits of various spacecraft servicing concepts are currently being assessed, and all require that servicer spacecraft perform rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture operations with the spacecraft to be serviced. There are many high-value commercial and military spacecraft located in geosynchronous orbit (GEO) which may be candidates for servicing, but GEO is a regime in which rendezvous and capture operations are not commonplace; further, most GEO spacecraft were not designed to be cooperative rendezvous targets, and some may even be completely nonfunctional and therefore potentially tumbling. In this work we present elements of a guidance and navigation strategy for rendezvous and proximity operations with a noncooperative spacecraft in GEO. Translationalllv is assessed for a passively safe co-elliptic rendezvous approach sequence that is followed by injection into a safety ellipse about a noncooperative tumbling spacecraft and, ultimately, final approach to capture. Covariance analysis is presented for a simulation of range and bearing measurements throughout the rendezvous and proximity operations sequence.

Safe rendezvous scenario design for geostationary satellites with collocation constraints

“…1, which referred to the rendezvous scenarios of Barbee et al [7] and Tarabini et al [9]. The servicer is initially located at the edge of the slot of the target, P 0 , before the rendezvous proximity mission begins.…”

“…Most GEO spacecrafts were not designed as cooperative rendezvous targets, and some may even be completely nonfunctional and potentially tumbling. Barbee et al [7] presented elements of a guidance and navigation strategy for rendezvous and proximity operations with a noncooperative spacecraft in GEO. Li et al [8] proposed a novel idea to launch a satellite sweeper whose purpose was to collect the on-orbit defunct satellites and help them de-orbit to a "graveyard".…”

“…However, in above studies on GEO rendezvous proximity mission design [7][8][9], the safety constraint of the collocated satellites is not considered, which has significant influence on the rendezvous scenario. In addition, these studies focus on designing the control strategy including maneuvering time, magnitude, and directions while the scenario parameters including keeping points and fly-by radius are seldom addressed.…”

Design of spacecraft missions to remove multiple orbital debris objects

“…Additionally, a congressionally mandated satellite ser-vicing study by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has analyzed the GEO capture and move scenario extensively. 9 Momentum Exchange Tethers Momentum exchange tethers are part of another potential solution and involve the tethering of two spacecraft. Generally, a vehicle in a higher orbit will attach a tether to a lower vehicle.…”

Experimental Characterization of Inverse Dynamics Guidance in Docking with a Rotating Target

“…In addition to requirements for low propellant consumption and limited maneuvering time, rendezvous and docking guidance algorithms have to take into account vehicle and mission safety requirements, as well as collision avoidance and flight-path constraints. This holds particularly true in mission scenarios with noncooperative target objects on on-orbit servicing and debris removal missions [6]. Such noncooperative target objects can be in rotating or tumbling motion with significant rates.…”