Roto-Translational Control of Spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit Using Environmental Forces and Torques

Abstract

In this paper, relative orbit and attitude adaptive controllers are integrated to perform roto-translational maneuvers for CubeSats equipped with a Drag Maneuvering Device (DMD). The DMD enables the host CubeSat with modulation of aerodynamic forces/torques and gravity gradient torque. Adaptive controllers for independent orbital and attitude maneuvers are revisited to account for traslational-attitude coupling while compensating for uncertainty in parameters such as atmospheric density, drag/lift coefficients, location of the Center of Mass (CoM) and inertia matrix. Uniformly ultimately bounded convergence of the attitude error and relative orbit states is guaranteed by Lyapunov-based stability analysis for the integrated roto-translational maneuver. A simulation example of an along-track formation maneuver between two CubeSats with simultaneous attitude control using only environmental forces and torques is presented to validate the controller.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
May 18, 2021
Source ID
10.3390/app11104606

Entities

People

  • Alberto Fedele
  • Camilo Riano-Rios
  • Riccardo Bevilacqua

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Tags

Readers

  • Adaptive Control and Estimation with Uncertainty in Dynamic Systems.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris
  • Space - Satellites
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers