Development and Simulation of Motion Control System for Small Satellites Formation

Abstract

In the paper, the problem of forming and maintaining the small satellites formation in the near-earth projected circular orbits is considered. The satellite formation reconfiguration and formation-keeping control laws are proposed by employing the passivity-based output feedback control. For the complete nonlinear and time-dependent dynamics of the relative motion of a pair of satellites in elliptical orbits, new combined control algorithms, including a consensus protocol, are proposed and analyzed. A comparison of the control modes using the passivity-based output feedback control and the proportional-differential controller with and without the consensus algorithm is given. On the basis of the passification method, the algorithm is obtained ensuring the stable motion of the slave satellite relative to the orbit of the master satellite. To improve the accuracy of the satellites’ positioning, a consensus protocol based on measurements of the relative positions of the satellites is proposed and studied. Computer simulations of the proposed algorithms for options to construct formations are provided for two projected circular orbits of 8 satellites, demonstrating the efficiency of the proposed control schemes. It is shown that the resulting passivity-based output feedback control provides better accuracy than the PD controller. It is also shown that the use of the consensus protocol further increases the positioning accuracy of the satellite constellation.

Application of the Relative Orbit in an On-Orbit Service Mission

“…2 The realization of the hovering of the spacecraft is actually a nonlinear control problem of relative motion. Some scholars have dealt with the control problem for relative motion, such as small satellite formation [14], a target spacecraft's hovering [33], and so on.…”

“…To achieve an on-orbit service mission, the mission spacecraft must approach the target spacecraft first. As an important basis for proximity and docking operations, spacecraft relative motion has become a hot research topic in the space field, such as modeling and analysis of nonlinear spacecraft relative motion [6][7][8][9], estimation for spacecraft relative motion reachable set [10,11], stability analysis and study of spacecraft relative motion [12] and control for spacecraft relative motion [13,14], and so on. The design of spacecraft relative motion orbit has been widely used in space on-orbit service missions.…”

Speed-Gradient Adaptive Control for Parametrically Uncertain UAVs in Formation

“…For the group control problem, additional signals employing the consensus algorithm can significantly increase accuracy in the presence of noise (cf. [20,[76][77][78]). Therefore, to improve formation positioning accuracy, a consensus algorithm (protocol) can be applied for multi-agent formation control.…”

“…Popov et al [20] considered the problem of forming and maintaining the formation of small satellites in near-earth projected circular orbits. In [21], a two-stage algorithm for group UAV guidance was proposed.…”