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Low-Thrust Autonomous Control for Maintaining Formation and Constellation Orbits

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Abstract

Control strategies to maintain spacecraft formation flying and constellation station keeping orbits are presented in this paper. For small or nanosatellites, the potential control thruster used in orbital control could be of the low-thrust type. The control methods that can adapt to different thrust levels without compromising the system performance and the mission task are investigated. Autonomous algorithms (analytic solutions that can be easily executed in real-time) that can be easily implemented on board are considered at the same time to reduce the overall cost of the mission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Howard University, DC, 20059, Washington, USA

    Xiaodong Duan (Formerly Ph.D. Candidate) & Peter M. Bainum (Distinguished Professor of Aerospace Engineering)

Authors
  1. Xiaodong Duan
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  2. Peter M. Bainum
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Correspondence to Xiaodong Duan.

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Duan, X., Bainum, P.M. Low-Thrust Autonomous Control for Maintaining Formation and Constellation Orbits. J of Astronaut Sci 53, 65–82 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03546395

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03546395

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