Global low-thrust guidance scheme for disaggregated spacecraft architectures

L. Mazal, G. Mingotti, P. Gurfil

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The main idea of disaggregated satellites is to distribute the functionality of a single monolithic satellite among multiple physically-independent wireless-communicating modules. These new architectures raises the emerging concept of cluster flight, in which the distance between any two modules of the cluster must be kept between prescribed upper and lower thresholds. This work is concerned with strategies to efficiently perform cluster-establishment. The main goal of the establishment is to deploy the modules in such a manner that the necessity of future corrective maneuvers, after the establishment, is reduced as much as possible. To that end, the establishment maneuver steers the cluster to relative initial conditions, which are favorable to avoid distance drifts, as well as enable the payload module, to track a prescribed reference trajectory. A cooperative guidance law, for cluster establishment and re-establishment, is proposed. As the modules are assumed to be equipped with low-thrust chemical (cold-gas) propulsion systems, thrust of type bang-off-bang thrust is considered, as well as perturbations due to the Earth oblateness and drag. Copyright

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication63rd International Astronautical Congress 2012, IAC 2012
Pages5336-5346
Number of pages11
StatePublished - 2012
Event63rd International Astronautical Congress 2012, IAC 2012 - Naples, Italy
Duration: 1 Oct 20125 Oct 2012

Publication series

NameProceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC
Volume7

Conference

Conference63rd International Astronautical Congress 2012, IAC 2012
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityNaples
Period1/10/125/10/12

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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