A Study on Rendezvous Docking Control of the HOPE

Abstract

: A study on rendezvous docking control of the HOPE is presented. The HOPE is the Japanese version of unmanned space shuttle, which requires the automatic rendezvous docking guidance algorithm. In this paper, the thruster combination algorithm is implemented by using linear programming (LP) method for minimum fuel consumption. The automatic guidance algorithms for three approaching phases are developed. The numerical simulation by these algorithms showed good result. The thruster combination algorithm by LP, the determination algorithm of the thruster firing timing by C-W-Hill's equation, and the technique for implementing the simulation are explained in detail.