Top-level control of disaggregated satellites: Cluster maintenance and scatter/re-gather maneuvers

Disaggregated satellites distribute the functionalities of a single monolithic satellite among multiple wirelessly-linked heterogenous modules. One of the challenges of designing a disaggregated satellite cluster is the development of a control system that is suited to the diverse cluster operational requirements. This paper presents a development of a backstepping approach for controlling the relative motion of the cluster modules in order to facilitate cluster initialization, maintenance, and scatter/re-gather maneuvering in case of a space debris collision threat. Inter-module collision avoidance is included through the use of artificial potential functions to ensure safe operational distances. As opposed to previous studies, the artificial potential formulation directly addresses the issue of moving targets and obstacles, as well as proper inclusion of the system dynamics within the control scheme. Numerical simulations that include the effects of J₂ to J₅ are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed top-level control for disaggregated satellites.