Adaptive sliding mode control of spacecraft attitude-orbit dynamics on SE(3)

In this paper, to solve the problem of parameters uncertainty in spacecraft tracking control, an adaptive controller based on sliding mode is proposed for the relative spacecraft attitude-orbit dynamics on the Lie group SE(3). The dynamic equations of relative attitude orbit error for two spacecraft are established in the framework of Lie group SE(3). Considering the uncertainty of spacecraft parameters, a formal decomposition of known and unknown parameters, the state variables and control variables is firstly made in the original system. An online estimator is designed to evaluate the unknown parameters. A sliding mode controller is developed to actuate the spacecraft to track the target spacecraft. Then a Lyapunov function of tracking error and parameters estimated error is designed to prove the stability of the closed-loop system. Finally, the simulation results and analysis are presented to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.     

Optimal spacecraft formation establishment and reconfiguration propelled by the geomagnetic Lorentz force

The Lorentz force acting on an electrostatically charged spacecraft as it moves through the planetary magnetic field could be utilized as propellantless electromagnetic propulsion for orbital maneuvering, such as spacecraft formation establishment and formation reconfiguration. By assuming that the Earth’s magnetic field could be modeled as a tilted dipole located at the center of Earth that corotates with Earth, a dynamical model that describes the relative orbital motion of Lorentz spacecraft is developed. Based on the proposed dynamical model, the energy-optimal open-loop trajectories of control inputs, namely, the required specific charges of Lorentz spacecraft, for Lorentz-propelled spacecraft formation establishment or reconfiguration problems with both fixed and free final conditions constraints are derived via Gauss pseudospectral method. The effect of the magnetic dipole tilt angle on the optimal control inputs and the relative transfer trajectories for formation establishment or reconfiguration is also investigated by comparisons with the results derived from a nontilted dipole model. Furthermore, a closed-loop integral sliding mode controller is designed to guarantee the trajectory tracking in the presence of external disturbances and modeling errors. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved by a Lyapunov-based approach. Numerical simulations are presented to verify the validity of the proposed open-loop control methods and demonstrate the performance of the closed-loop controller. Also, the results indicate the dipole tilt angle should be considered when designing control strategies for Lorentz-propelled spacecraft formation establishment or reconfiguration.     

Optimal spacecraft rendezvous using the combination of aerodynamic force and Lorentz force

This paper presents a propellantless spacecraft rendezvous method by using the optimal combination of aerodynamic force and Lorentz force. Aerodynamic force is provided by the rotations of the plates attached to the spacecraft, and Lorentz force is achieved by modulating spacecraft's electrostatic charge. Considering the limitation of the charging level of the spacecraft and physical constraints of the plates system, an optimal open-loop rendezvous trajectory is designed, which aims to minimize the energy consumed to actuate the hybrid system. The rotation rates of the plates and the electrostatic charge are constrained in the optimization problem, which is solved via the Gauss pseudospectral method. To track the open-loop trajectory in the presence of external perturbations, a novel adaptive nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller is designed. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved by the Lyapunov-based method. Several numerical examples are conducted to verify the validity of both the open-loop and closed-loop control strategy.     

Dynamics and control of spacecraft hovering using the geomagnetic Lorentz force

To achieve hovering, a spacecraft thrusts continuously to induce an equilibrium state at a desired position. Due to the constraints on the quantity of propellant onboard, long-time hovering around low-Earth orbits (LEO) is hardly achievable using traditional chemical propulsion. The Lorentz force, acting on an electrostatically charged spacecraft as it moves through a planetary magnetic field, provides a new propellantless method for orbital maneuvers. This paper investigates the feasibility of using the induced Lorentz force as an auxiliary means of propulsion for spacecraft hovering. Assuming that the Earth’s magnetic field is a dipole that rotates with the Earth, a dynamical model that characterizes the relative motion of Lorentz spacecraft is derived to analyze the required open-loop control acceleration for hovering. Based on this dynamical model, we first present the hovering configurations that could achieve propellantless hovering and the corresponding required specific charge of a Lorentz spacecraft. For other configurations, optimal open-loop control laws that minimize the control energy consumption are designed. Likewise, the optimal trajectories of required specific charge and control acceleration are both presented. The effect of orbital inclination on the expenditure of control energy is also analyzed. Further, we also develop a closed-loop control approach for propellantless hovering. Numerical results prove the validity of proposed control methods for hovering and show that hovering around low-Earth orbits would be achievable if the required specific charge of a Lorentz spacecraft becomes feasible in the future. Typically, hovering radially several kilometers above a target in LEO requires specific charges on the order of 0.1 C/kg.     

Neural network-based sliding mode control for atmospheric-actuated spacecraft formation using switching strategy

This paper presents an adaptive neural networks-based control method for spacecraft formation with coupled translational and rotational dynamics using only aerodynamic forces. It is assumed that each spacecraft is equipped with several large flat plates. A coupled orbit-attitude dynamic model is considered based on the specific configuration of atmospheric-based actuators. For this model, a neural network-based adaptive sliding mode controller is implemented, accounting for system uncertainties and external perturbations. To avoid invalidation of the neural networks destroying stability of the system, a switching control strategy is proposed which combines an adaptive neural networks controller dominating in its active region and an adaptive sliding mode controller outside the neural active region. An optimal process is developed to determine the control commands for the plates system. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved by a Lyapunov-based method. Comparative results through numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of executing attitude control while maintaining the relative motion, and higher control accuracy can be achieved by using the proposed neural-based switching control scheme than using only adaptive sliding mode controller.     

Automatic orbital docking with tumbling target using sliding mode control

The present study aimed to propose translational and rotational control of a chaser spacecraft in the close vicinity docking phase with a target subjected to external disturbances. For this purpose, two sliding mode controls (SMC) are developed to coordinate the relative position and attitude of two spacecraft. The chaser is guided to the tumbling target by the relative position control, approaching in the direction of the target docking port. At the same moment, the relative attitude control coordinates the chaser attitude so that it can be aligned with the target orientation. These control systems regulate the relative translational and rotational velocities to be zero when two spacecraft are docking. The robustness of the closed-loop system in the presence of external disturbances, measurement noises and uncertainties is guaranteed by analyzing and calculating the control gains via the Lyapunov function. The simulations in different scenarios indicated the effectiveness of the controller scheme and precise maneuver regarding the accuracy of docking conditions.     

基于视线测量的卫星编队机动控制方法

采用视线测量的方法,建立一种编队卫星队形保持与机动的协同控制策略。编队中每一个卫星跟踪自己轨道前方邻近卫星,产生一个视线测量矢量,编队的第一个卫星根据高级控制层指令追踪期望轨道,产生链式编队,将编队卫星之间的视线距离作为反馈控制量来实现队形控制。通过推导J2相对摄动力的表达式,控制模型考虑了模型不确定性和摄动影响,采用滑模控制器,实现了基于视线测量的编队卫星链式跟踪协同控制。仿真算例结果表明,该方法在实现编队卫星队形保持与整体机动控制上具有可行性。     

Space-based line-of-sight tracking control of GEO target using nonsingular terminal sliding mode

This paper addresses the issue of high-precision line-of-sight (LOS) tracking of geosynchronous earth orbit target in highly dynamic conditions via spacecraft attitude maneuver. First, characteristics of the LOS motion are analyzed by a simplified linear relative motion model. Second, after transforming the quaternion-based attitude model into a double integrator system, a new nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller is proposed for spacecraft attitude tracking in a nominal case without parametric uncertainties and external disturbances. Third, an adaptive new nonsingular terminal mode controller is proposed for spacecraft attitude tracking in an uncertain case, which is done via constructing a pair of adaptive laws to estimate the parametric uncertainties and external disturbances online. The robust stability and finite time convergence property of the closed-loop system are demonstrated by Lyapunov theorem. Under control of the proposed controller, zero steady state error tracking of LOS with a smooth transition phase can be achieved in scheduled time, regardless of parametric uncertainties and external disturbances online. Finally, detailed numerical simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed controllers. Contrasting simulation results shows that proposed controllers can track the desired trajectories effectively and have better performance against the controllers based on linear sliding mode and the existing fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode.     

相对空间目标任意位置悬停闭环控制方法研究

研究了相对空间目标任意位置悬停的控制方法,针对现有的开环控制方法对外部干扰和初始误差敏感的问题,基于Hill方程提出了悬停闭环控制方法。进行了仿真计算,证明了方法的有效性。仿真结果表明:该文方法的燃料消耗与开环控制接近而控制性能更好,可以在具有初始速度误差的情况下实现相对于空间目标的任意位置悬停。     

Robust optimal sliding mode control for the deployment of Coulomb spacecraft formation flying

Inter-spacecraft electrostatic force (Coulomb force) is desirable for close formation flying control because of its propellant-less and free contaminate characteristics attributed to the propellant exhaust emission. This paper presents robust optimal sliding mode control to deal with the problem of thruster saturation in tracking the formation trajectory for Coulomb spacecraft formation flying. The robust controller design is based on optimal control theory as a linear quadratic system, and it is augmented with an integral sliding mode control technique. The stability of the closed-loop system is guaranteed using the second Lyapunov method. The developed controller outperforms the existing ones, because it has a higher degree of fine-tuning to cope with the uncertainty. Numerical simulations are employed to confirm the efficiency of the developed controller.     

基于观测器的平台无陀螺姿态复合控制

针对超静卫星星体平台无陀螺、载荷敏感器与星体平台执行机构非共基准安装时整星存在姿态异位控制问题,提出了一种基于观测器估计星体平台姿态的复合控制方法。首先,建立星体平台/Stewart平台/载荷的动力学模型,并获得Stewart平台作动器关节空间的等效动力学模型。针对关节空间等效模型,设计super twisting观测器,以作动器平动位移为输入,以载荷和星体平台之间的相对姿态和角速度为输出,实现星体平台姿态和角速度估计。其次,以载荷测量姿态信息为输入,设计Stewart作动器的积分滑模控制律,实现载荷高精度指向控制。以观测器估计的星体平台姿态信息为输入,设计星体平台控制器实现星体平台的稳定控制。Lyapunov稳定性分析表明所设计的观测器和控制器能够保证闭环系统渐近稳定。数学仿真结果表明：在星体平台有陀螺时,载荷能够实现0.1″指向精度;在星体平台无陀螺时,采用观测器估计星体平台姿态并进行控制,载荷亦可实现0.1″指向精度。     

Finite-time relative orbit-attitude tracking control for multi-spacecraft with collision avoidance and changing network topologies

This paper addresses the relative position tracking and attitude synchronization control problem for spacecraft formation flying (SFF). Based on the derived relative coupled six-degree-of-freedom dynamics, a robust adaptive finite-time fast terminal sliding mode controller is proposed to achieve the desired formation in the presence of model uncertainties and external disturbances. It is shown that the designed controller is effective for changing information exchange topology making it robust to node failure. Then, the artificial potential function method is employed to generate collision avoidance schemes to modify the controller such that inter-agent collision avoidance can be ensured during the formation maneuver, which is critical for practical missions. The stability of the overall closed-loop system is proved by using Lyapunov theory. Finally, numerical examples for a given SFF scenario are presented to illustrate the performance of the controller.     

Methods of spacecraft impulsive relative hovering and trajectory safety analysis

Based on the analytical solutions of T-H equations and its state transition matrix form,the open-loop control method of spacecraft impulsive relative hovering was studied,which is promising for practical engineering use.The true anomaly intervals of the hovering impulse were optimized by the nonlinear mathematical programming.Based on the calculation of collision probability,the method of safety analysis and risk management was proposed.The numerical simulations show that the introduced relative hovering method can be used for circular and elliptical reference orbits hovering.Furthermore,the local optimal solution can be obtained by applying the true anomaly intervals optimization method.The maximum collision probability and the minimum relative distance nearly appear at the same time.And,the smaller the relative distance is,the larger the collision probability.     

Robust H∞ controller design for attitude stabilization of flexible spacecraft with input constraints

This paper addresses the attitude stabilization and vibration suppression problem for flexible spacecraft subject to model parameter uncertainty, controller perturbations, external disturbances and input constraints. The attitude model of flexible spacecraft is described and converted into a state space form in terms of passive and active vibration suppression schemes. A novel state feedback controller is proposed based on the exactly available expectation of a new variable, which is introduced to model a randomly occurring controller gain perturbation. Based on Lyapunov stability theory, sufficient conditions for the existence of the nonfragile H_∞ controller considering input constraints are given based on linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) in terms of additive perturbation and multiplicative perturbation. Then, the developed controller subject to required constraints can be obtained, where the nonfragile property is fully considered to improve the tolerance to uncertainties in the controller. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control strategy in attitude stabilization and vibration suppression, where it should be noted that the passive vibration suppression scheme is superior for high natural frequencies while the active vibration suppression scheme is superior for low natural frequencies. Moreover, the low natural frequencies have more influence on the performance of attitude stabilization and vibration suppression.     

航天器近距离相对运动的轨迹偏差分析

利用相对可达区(RRD)的概念对航天器在脉冲闭环控制方式下相对运动的轨迹偏差进行了分析。相对可达区是对航天器可能出现位置集合的一种几何描述。当航天器的状态误差服从高斯分布时,相对可达区可表示为随时间变化的误差椭球的集合。考虑航天器飞行过程中存在的不确定性因素,基于闭环控制系统下线性化的相对运动动力学模型,采用协方差分析描述函数法(CADET)对定义航天器误差椭球的协方差矩阵进行了分析,给出了根据协方差矩阵求解相对可达区包络的计算方法。通过将开环和闭环控制系统下的相对可达区包络与1 000次的Monte Carlo仿真结果进行比较,证明了偏差分析方法的适用性与有效性。     

航天器非奇异自适应终端滑模姿轨联合控制

为了实现航天器姿态与轨道的同步控制，提出了一种航天器姿态与轨道联合控制的非奇异自适应终端滑模控制律。首先，建立了航天器姿轨耦合运动的对偶四元数模型；其次，提出了一种姿轨联合跟踪控制的非奇异终端滑模控制律，并设计了自适应控制律以改善质量特性不确定性的影响，利用李雅普诺夫函数证明了所提控制律的稳定性；最后，绕飞小行星的跟踪控制仿真算例表明了控制律的有效性。结果表明:所提控制律具有较高的控制精度，能够在有限时间内收敛，仿真过程中不存在奇异点，抑制了质量特性的不确定性对控制的影响，且对滑模的抖振特性有抑制效果。      

变结构航天器模糊神经网络滑模控制器设计

变结构航天器是目前航天领域的重要发展方向，航天器结构的变化将导致质量分布发生明显变化，这对航天器动力学建模和控制器设计都提出新的问题。针对这种情况，采用混合坐标法和拉格朗日方程建立了航天器刚柔耦合动力学模型，利用几种典型工况的参数近似得到变结构过程中动力学参数的变化规律。设计滑模控制器对航天器变结构过程进行姿态控制，为提高滑模控制器的适应性，设计模糊神经网络（FNN）自适应调节滑模控制器参数，并利用径向基函数（RBF）神经网络逼近动力学模型，得到控制力矩与姿态变化之间的近似关系，用于FNN的优化。通过仿真得到航天器变结构期间无控、滑模控制和模糊神经网络滑模控制的姿态变化，仿真结果对比验证了模糊神经网络滑模控制对于滑模控制的优势，证明了其在变结构航天器姿态控制方面的有效性。     

Optimal H∞ robust output feedback control for satellite formation in arbitrary elliptical reference orbits

A two degree-of-freedom signal-based optimal H_∞ robust output feedback controller is designed for satellite formation in an arbitrary elliptical reference orbit. Based on high-fidelity linearized dynamics of relative motion, uncertainties introduced by non-zero eccentricity and gravitational J2 perturbation are separated to construct a robust control model. Furthermore, a distributed robust control model is derived by modifying the perturbed robust control model of each satellite with the eigenvalues of the Laplacian matrix of the communication graph, which represent uncertainty in the communication topology. A signal-based optimal H_∞ robust controller is then designed primarily. Considering that the uncertainties involved in the distributed robust control model have a completely diagonal structure, the corresponding analyses are made through structured singular value theory to reduce the conservativeness. Based on simulation results, further designs including increasing the degrees of freedom of the controller, modifying the performance and control weighted functions, adding a post high-pass filter according to the dynamic characteristics, and reducing the control model are made to improve the control performance. Nonlinear simulations demonstrate that the resultant optimal H_∞ robust output feedback controller satisfies the robust performance requirements under uncertainties caused by non-zero eccentricity, J2 perturbation, and varying communication topology, and that 5 m accuracy in terms of stable desired formation configuration can be achieved by the presented optimal H_∞ robust controller. In addition to considering the widely discussed uncertainties caused by the orbit of each satellite in a formation, the optimal H_∞ robust output feedback control model presented in the current work considers the uncertainties caused by varying communication topology in the satellite formation that works in a cooperative way. Other new improvements include adopting a new method to more accurately describe and analyze the effects of the higher-order J2 perturbation, combining all the uncertainties into a diagonal structure, and utilizing a structured singular value to synthesize and analyze the controller.     

挠性航天器滑模变结构控制及抖振抑制研究

针对挠性航天器姿态滑模变结构控制中存在的抖振问题,提出了一种改进的滑模变结构控制律.在滑模“边界层”法的基础上,用更为光滑的“反正切”函数替代饱和函数,以抑制抖振.在滑模控制器的到达运动控制律中引入滞后因子以减小机动初始时刻控制所需的最大控制力矩,避免由此引起的挠性附件振动.仿真结果表明,所设计的改进滑模变结构控制律不仅能够有效抑制抖振,而且对航天器自身参数摄动具有良好的鲁棒性.     

Active vibration suppression for flexible satellites using a novel component synthesis method

This paper is devoted to developing a closed-loop vibration suppression controller for a satellite with large flexible appendages based on component synthesis vibration suppression (CSVS) method. The dynamics model of a flexible satellite is firstly established by using the Newton–Euler methodology, and the dynamics model of the flywheel is also developed. A novel CSVS method is presented based on zero-vibration differentiator (ZVD), which can guarantee multi-order vibration suppression. Combined with the proposed CSVS method, traditional closed-loop controllers such as PD or sliding mode controllers can be applied to active vibration suppression. The stability of the proposed closed-loop CSVS controller is proved by the Lyapunov theory. Subsequently, the dynamic optimal control allocation algorithm is proposed for six flywheels, and a novel nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode controller is developed to obtain practical voltage control input for the flywheel drive control system. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.