Impulsive Maneuvers for Formation Reconfiguration Using Relative Orbital Elements

Abstract

Advanced multi-satellite missions based on formation-ying and on-orbit servicing concepts require the capability to arbitrarily recongure the relative motion in an autonomous, fuel ecient, and exible manner. Realistic ight scenarios impose maneuvering time constraints driven by the satellite bus, by the payload, or by collision avoidance needs. In addition mission control center planning and operations tasks demand for determinism and predictability of the propulsion system activities.Based on these considerations and on the experience gained from the most recent autonomous formation-ying demonstrations in near-circular orbit, this paper addresses and reviews multi-impulsive solution schemes for formation reconguration in the relative orbit elements space. In contrast to the available literature, which focuses on case-by-case or problem-specic solutions, this work seeks the systematic search and characterization of impulsive maneuvers of operational relevance. The inversion of the equations of relative motion parameterized using relative orbital elements enables the straightforward computation of analytical or numerical solutions and provides direct insight into the delta-v cost and the most convenient maneuver locations. The resulting general methodology is not only able to re-nd and re-qualify all particular solutions known in literature or own in space, but enables the identication of novel

Impulsive zone model predictive control for rendezvous hovering phases

“…This parametrization of the relative motion provides a direct insight on the geometry of the relative orbits like the relative orbital elements exploited in [24]. For instance, the Cartesian relative position are expressed linearly in terms of D states as:…”

Safe Picosatellite Release from a Small Satellite Carrier

“…The analytical form of the general expression of the in-plane double-pulse maneuvers' scheme, for whatever aimed final conditions, as a function of the mean arguments of latitude of the two maneuvers is given in [15] [i.e., Eq. (12)].…”

“…Therefore, once fixed δv R1 (i.e., fixed δe and δi), k can be chosen as the odd natural number comprised in − 5000 − Δδλ 1.5πδa 1 ≤ k ≤ − 10; 000 − Δδλ 1.5πδa 1 (15) Some remarks can be added when dealing with the final selection of the baseline (i.e., aimed δe and δi). Visibility constraints 2 and 3 can be handled as soft constraints because they become less critical when the separation increases.…”

“…To deal with such a comprehensive scenario while establishing a desired passively safe stable relative orbit, the preliminary design of the maneuvering strategy is carried out in the relative orbital elements (ROE) framework [15]. These parameters, in fact, are the integration constants of the Hill-Clohessy-Wiltshire equations and provide a direct insight into the geometry and thus into the safety characteristics of the relative motion.…”

Minimum-Fuel Control Strategy for Spacecraft Formation Reconfiguration via Finite-Time Maneuvers

“…The impulsive approach for the satellite formation control has been widely discussed in many works. Gaias and D'Amico [2] addressed the problem of multi-impulsive solution schemes for formation reconfiguration in near-circular Keplerian orbits using relative orbit elements (ROEs). They proposed a general methodology, based on the inversion of relative dynamics equations, which led to the straightforward computation of analytical or numerical control solutions.…”