• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.255-266
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• 2008

The current paper presents application of a new analytic solution in general relative motion to spacecraft formation flying in an elliptic orbit. The calculus of variations is used to analytically find optimal trajectories and controls for the given problem. The inverse of the fundamental matrix associated with the dynamic equations is not required for the solution in the current study. It is verified that the optimal thrust vector is a function of the fundamental matrix of the given state equations. The cost function and the state vector during the reconfiguration can be analytically obtained as well. The results predict the form of optimal solutions in advance without having to solve the problem. Numerical simulation shows the brevity and the accuracy of the general analytic solutions developed in the current paper.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.47 no.11
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• pp.795-802
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• 2019

This paper deals with position-attitude coupling motion during spacecraft relative operation, and suggests dual quaternion-based kinematics for the problem. The position-attitude coupling motion can occur when the target point is located at an arbitrary point on the satellite body, not the center of mass. This is especially apparent in close proximity operation case. The dual quaternion-based kinematics directly reflects the angular velocity state, so that the coupling motion in which the change of attitude affects the position can be concisely defined. In this study, a new dual quaternion-based kinematics is presented along with a conventional approach to solve the coupling problem. Numerical simulations show that the position error for the target point is generated by the coupling motion, and verify that the dual quaternion-based kinematics can solve this problem.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.82-90
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• 2014

In this paper, the effect of Lorentz force on the stability of attitude orientation of a charged spacecraft moving in an elliptic orbit in the geomagnetic field is considered. Euler equations are used to derive the equations of attitude motion of a charged spacecraft. The equilibrium positions and its stability are investigated separately in the pitch, roll and yaw directions. In each direction, we use the Lorentz force to identify an attitude stabilization parameter. The analytical methods confirm that we can use the Lorentz force as a stabilization method. The charge-to-mass ratio is the main key of control, in addition to the components of the radius vector of the charged center of the spacecraft, relative to the center of mass of the spacecraft. The numerical results determine stable and unstable equilibrium positions. Therefore, in order to generate optimum charge, which may stabilize the attitude motion of a spacecraft, the amount of charge on the surface of spacecraft will need to be monitored for passive control.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.24-36
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• 2011

A new approach for spacecraft absolute attitude estimation based on the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) is extended to relative attitude estimation and navigation. This approach for nonlinear systems has faster convergence than the approach based on the standard extended Kalman filter (EKF) even with inaccurate initial conditions in attitude estimation and navigation problems. The filter formulation employs measurements obtained from a vision sensor to provide multiple line(-) of(-) sight vectors from the spacecraft to another spacecraft. The line-of-sight measurements are coupled with gyro measurements and dynamic models in an UKF to determine relative attitude, position and gyro biases. A vector of generalized Rodrigues parameters is used to represent the local error-quaternion between two spacecraft. A multiplicative quaternion-error approach is derived from the local error-quaternion, which guarantees the maintenance of quaternion unit constraint in the filter. The scenario for bounded relative motion is selected to verify this extended application of the UKF. Simulation results show that the UKF is more robust than the EKF under realistic initial attitude and navigation error conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1072-1078
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• 2008

An adaptive control algorithm for spacecraft rendezvous and docking in a Keplerian orbit is presented. The equations of relative motion of two spacecrafts expressed in a local-vertical-local-horizontal rectangular frame are converted to a general Hamiltonian form, then an adaptive control method developed for the uncertain Hamiltonian system is applied to the rendezvous and docking problem. A smooth projection algorithm is applied to keep the parameter estimates inside a singularity-free region, and a numerical example shows that the developed controller successfully deals with the unknown mass of the chaser spacecraft.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2013

This paper presents formation reconfiguration using impulsive control input for spacecraft formation flying. Spacecraft in a formation should change the formation size and/or geometry according to the mission requirements and space environment. To modify the formation radius and geometry with respect to the leader spacecraft, the follower spacecraft generates additional control inputs; the two impulsive control inputs are general control type of the spacecraft system. For the impulsive control input, Lambert's problem is modified to construct the transfer orbit in relative motion, given two position vectors at the initial and final time. Moreover, the numerical simulation results show the transfer trajectories to resize the formation radius in the radial/along-track plane formation and in the along-track/cross-track plane formation. In addition, the maneuver characteristics are described by comparing the differential orbital elements between the reference orbit and transfer orbit in the radial/along-track plane formation and along-track/cross-track plane formation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.56-64
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• 2006

Station collocation of closely placed multiple GEO spacecraft is required to avoid the problem of collision risk, attitude sensor interference and/or occultation. This paper presents the method of obtaining the orbit correction scheme for collocating two GEO spacecraft within a small station-keeping box. The relative motion of each spacecraft with respect to the virtual geostationary satellite is precisely expressed in terms of power and trigonometry functions. This closed-form orbit propagator is used to define the constraint conditions which meet the requirements for the station collocation. Finally, the technique of constrained optimization is used to find the orbit maneuver sequence. Nonlinear simulations are performed and their results are compared with those of the classical method.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.77-88
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• 2015

The dynamics of relative motion in a perturbed orbital environment are exploited based on Gauss' and Cowell's variational equations. The inertial coordinate frame and relative coordinate frame (Hill frame) are used, and a linear high fidelity model is developed to describe the relative motion. This model takes into account the primary gravitational and atmospheric drag perturbations. Then, this model is used in the design of a navigation, guidance, and control system of a chaser vehicle to approach towards and to depart from a target vehicle in proximity operations. Relative navigation uses an extended Kalman filter based on this relative model to estimate the relative position/velocity of the chaser vehicle with respect to the target vehicle. This filter uses the range and angle measurements of the target relative to the chaser from a simulated LIDAR system. The corresponding measurement models, process noise matrix, and other filter parameters are provided. Numerical simulations are performed to assess the precision of this model with respect to the full nonlinear model. The analyses include the navigation errors and trajectory dispersions.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.859-872
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• 2008

In this paper, the problem of partial asymptotic stabilization of nonlinear control cascaded systems with integrators is considered. Unfortunately, many controllable control systems present an anomaly, which is the non complete stabilization via continuous pure-state feedback. This is due to Brockett necessary condition. In order to cope with this difficulty we propose in this work the partial asymptotic stabilization. For a given motion of a dynamical system, say x(t,$x_0,t_0$)=(y(t,$y_0,t_0$),z(t,$z_0,t_0$)), the partial stabilization is the qualitative behavior of the y-component of the motion(i.e., the asymptotic stabilization of the motion with respect to y) and the z-component converges, relative to the initial vector x($t_0$)=$x_0$=($y_0,z_0$). In this work we present new results for the adding integrators for partial asymptotic stabilization. Two applications are given to illustrate our theoretical result. The first problem treated is the partial attitude control of the rigid spacecraft with two controls. The second problem treated is the partial orientation of the underactuated ship.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.51-59
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• 2005

In this paper, results of a multiple spacecraft formation-keeping control using the orbital relative motion and optimization technique are presented. To analyze and predict the relative motion between the formation-flying satellites, a closed-form orbit propagator obtained using the method of ephemeris compression is used. This closed-form orbit propagator is combined with optimization technique to plan a series of impulsive maneuvers, which maintain the formation configuration within the specified limit. As an example, this method is applied to the problem of maintaining the projected circular formation geometry and results from nonlinear simulation are presented.