Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.12989/aas.2020.7.3.271

Trajectory analysis of a CubeSat mission for the inspection of an orbiting vehicle  

Corpino, Sabrina (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS) Politecnico di Torino)
Stesina, Fabrizio (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS) Politecnico di Torino)
Calvi, Daniele (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS) Politecnico di Torino)
Guerra, Luca (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS) Politecnico di Torino)
Publication Information
Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science / v.7, no.3, 2020 , pp. 271-290 More about this Journal
Abstract
The paper describes the analysis of deployment strategies and trajectories design suitable for executing the inspection of an operative spacecraft in orbit through re-usable CubeSats. Similar missions have been though indeed, and one mission recently flew from the International Space Station. However, it is important to underline that the inspection of an operative spacecraft in orbit features some peculiar characteristics which have not been demonstrated by any mission flown to date. The most critical aspects of the CubeSat inspection mission stem from safety issues and technology availability in the following areas: trajectory design and motion control of the inspector relative to the target, communications architecture, deployment and retrieval of the inspector, and observation needs. The objectives of the present study are 1) the identification of requirements applicable to the deployment of a nanosatellite from the mother-craft, which is also the subject of the inspection, and 2) the identification of solutions for the trajectories to be flown along the mission phases. The mission for the in-situ observation of Space Rider is proposed as reference case, but the conclusions are applicable to other targets such as the ISS, and they might also be useful for missions targeted at debris inspection.
Keywords
CubeSats; in-orbit inspection; mission analysis; formation flight; rendezvous and docking; deployment analysis; simulation;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 ESA (2019), Space Rider, www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Space_Rider.
2 Fedele, A., Guidotti, G., Rufolo, G., Malucchi, G., Denaro, A., Massobrio, F., Dussy, S., Mancuso, S. and Tumino, G. (2018), "The Space Rider Programme: End user's needs and payload applications survey as driver for mission and system definition", Acta Astronautica, 152, 534-541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.08.042.   DOI
3 Fehse, W. (2003), Automated Rendezvous and Docking of Spacecraft, Automated Rendezvous and Docking of Spacecraft, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
4 Franchi, L., Feruglio, L., Mozzillo, R. and Corpino, S. (2018), "Model predictive and reallocation problem for CubeSat fault recovery and attitude control", Mech. Syst. Signal Process., 98, 1034-1055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2017.05.039.   DOI
5 Gunter's Space Page (2019), CPOD mission, https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/cpod.htm.
6 Olivieri, L. and Francesconi, A. (2016), "Design and test of a semiandrogynous docking mechanism for small satellites", Acta Astronautica, 122, 219-230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.02.004.   DOI
7 Pedrotty, S., Sullivan, J., Gambone, E. and Kirven, T. (2019), "Seeker free-flying inspector GNC system overview", Proceedings of the 42nd AAS GNC Conference, Breckenridge, Colorado, U.S.A. January-February.
8 Richard, M., Gorret, B., Metrailler, L., Pirat, C.S., Voillat, R., Frei, T., Collaud, X., Mausli, P.A., Arato, L. and Lauria, M. (2016), "Developing a reliable capture system for cleanspace one", Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, Guadalajara, Mexico, September.
9 Pirat, C., Richard-Noca, M., Paccolat, C., Belloni, F., Wiesendanger, R., Courtney, D., Walker, R. and Gass, V. (2017), "Mission design and GNC for in-orbit demonstration of active debris removal technologies with CubeSats", Acta Astronautica, 130, 114-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.08.038.   DOI
10 Pirat, C., Ankersen, F., Walker R. and Gass, V. (2018), "Vision based navigation for autonomous cooperative docking of CubeSats", Acta Astronautica, 146, 418-434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.01.059.   DOI
11 Roscoe, C.W.T., Westphal, J.J. and Mosleh, E. (2018), "Overview and GNC design of the CubeSat Proximity operations demonstration (CPOD) mission", Acta Astronautica, 153, 410-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.03.033.   DOI
12 Underwood, C., Pellegrino, S., Lappas, V.J., Bridges, C.P. and Baker, J. (2015), "Using CubeSat/micro-satellite technology to demonstrate the autonomous assembly of a reconfigurable space telescope (AAReST)", Acta Astronautica, 114, 112-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.04.008.   DOI
13 Williams, T. and Tanygin, S. (1998), "On-orbit engineering tests of the AERCam sprint robotic camera vehicle", Adv. Astronaut. Sci., 99(2), 1001-1020.
14 Biesbroek, R., Billot, C., Estable, S., Ferraris, S., Haarmann, R., Hausmann, G., Oswald, M. and Innocenti, L. (2015), "The E.Deorbit mission: Results of ESA's phase A studies for an active debris removal mission", Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, Jerusalem, Israel, October.
15 Lorenzen, C., Stich, M. and Robinson, S.K. (2016), "Low-risk spacecraft-Inspection CubeSat", Proceedings of the 30th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, Logan, Utah, U.S.A., August.
16 Gunter's Space Page (2019), GomSpace GomX-4, https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/gomx-4.htm.
17 Gunter's Space Page (2019), NanoACE mission, https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/nanoace.htm.
18 Horsley, M., Nikolaev, S. and Pertica, A. (2013), "Small satellite rendezvous using differential lift and drag", J. Guid. Control Dyn., 36(2), 445-453. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.57327.   DOI
19 NASA (2019), General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT), https://software.nasa.gov/software/GSC-18094-1.
20 Nichele, F., Villa, M. and Vanotti, M. (2018), "Proximity operations - autonomous space drones", Proceedings of the 4S Symposium, Sorrento, Italy, May.
21 Caron, M. and Keenan, A. (2005), "Concept of operation of the special purpose dexterous manipulator", Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, Fukuoka, Japan, October.
22 Boesso, A. and Francesconi, A. (2013), "ARCADE small-scale docking mechanism for micro-satellites", Acta Astronautica, 86, 77-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.01.006.   DOI
23 Bowen, J., Tsuda, A., Abel, J. and Villa, M. (2015), " Cubesat proximity operations demonstration (cpod) mission update", Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, U.S.A., March.
24 Breger, L. and How, J.P. (2008), "Safe trajectories for autonomous rendezvous of spacecraft", J. Guid. Control Dyn., 31(5), 1478-1492. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.29590.   DOI
25 Caron, M. and Mills, I. (2012), "Planning and execution of tele-robotic maintenance operations on the ISS", Proceedings of the SpaceOps 2012 Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, June.
26 Corpino, S., Mauro, S., Pastorelli, S., Stesina, F., Biondi, G., Franchi, L. and Mohtar, T. (2017), "Control of a noncooperative approach maneuver based on debris dynamics feedback", J. Guid. Control Dyn., 41(2), 431-448. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.G002685.   DOI
27 ESA (2017), "e.Inspector CDF Study Report - Assessment of an ENVISAT Imaging Mission as a Precursor to a Potential ENVISAT Deorbit".
28 ESA (2019), RACE, www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2019/06/RACE_double_CubeSat_mission.