Periodic Methods for Controlling a Satellite in Formation

Abstract

Precise position determination and control is necessary to accomplish proposed satellite formation flying missions of ground movement target indication and synthetic aperture radar. This thesis combines the estimation and control techniques of past AFIT theses with various time-varying and time-invariant LQG control methods. Linear time-invariant control is ideal for on-board satellite estimation and control applications, freeing-up the satellite's limited computational capacity. Using a dynamics frame transformation from the nodal frame to an orbital frame, a higher fidelity, time-periodic model produced nearly identical results for either time-varying or time-invariant control for many scenarios. Scenarios included initial perturbations in the radial, in-track, and cross-track directions as well as increased magnitude perturbations; step size increase from 0.2 seconds to 2 seconds; and increased and reduced measurement noise level scenarios versus the standard absolute GPS receiver noise level.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA401461

Entities

People

  • Erin Y. Carraher

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Astronautics
  • Computers
  • Differential Equations
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Mathematical Filters
  • Microsatellites
  • Radar
  • Reliability
  • Satellite Orbits
  • Space Objects
  • Spacecraft
  • Spacecraft Orbits
  • Synthetic Aperture Radar

Readers

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

Technology Areas

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