Improved Dynamics Modeling of Proximity Flight using Relative Orbit Elements

Abstract

The proposed research responds to the pressing need of the Air Force to better understand and utilize the dynamics of satellite relative motion for close-proximity missions. Current closed-form relative dynamics models are typically ad-hoc, mission-specific, and affected by major limitations such as the inter-satellite range of applicability, the eccentricity of the satellites orbits, the type of modelled perturbation forces, the resulting algorithm complexity and computational load. The project goal is to develop novel, efficient and accurate relative dynamics models for proximity operations that can be effectively used for orbit design, and guidance, navigation and control (GN and C) in a broad range of mission scenarios. Those scenarios include orbits of arbitrary eccentricity at small to large distances from Earth (e.g., from low-Earth to geostationary orbits) and with inter-spacecraft separations from virtually zero to hundreds of kilometers.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 03, 2019
Accession Number
AD1091859

Entities

People

  • Riccardo Bevilacqua
  • Simone D'Amico

Organizations

  • Stanford University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Computational Science
  • Control Systems
  • Differential Equations
  • Earth Orbits
  • Earth Sciences
  • Equatorial Orbits
  • Geosynchronous Orbits
  • Guidance
  • Kalman Filters
  • Low Earth Orbits
  • Motion Planning
  • Particle Swarm Optimization
  • Solar Radiation
  • Space Objects
  • Spacecraft

Readers

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

Technology Areas

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