Short profile for the human spacecraft Soyuz-TMA rendezvous mission to the ISS

Reduction of flight duration after insertion till docking to the ISS is considered. In the beginning of the human flight era both the USSR and the USA used short mission profiles due to limited life support resources. A rendezvous during these missions was usually achieved in 1–5 revolutions. The short-term rendezvous were made possible by the coordinated launch profiles of both rendezvousing spacecraft, which provided specific relative position of the spacecraft or phase angle conditions. After the beginning of regular flights to the orbital stations these requirements became difficult to fulfill. That is why it was decided to transfer to 1- or 2-day rendezvous profile. The long stay of a crew in a limited habitation volume of the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft before docking to the ISS is one of the most strained parts of the flight and naturally cosmonauts wish to dock to the ISS as soon as possible. As a result of previous studies the short four-burn rendezvous mission profile with docking in a few orbits was developed. It is shown that the current capabilities of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle and the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft are sufficient to provide for that. The first test of the short rendezvous mission during Progress cargo vehicle flight to the ISS is planned for 2012. Possible contingencies pertinent to this profile are described. In particular, in the majority of the emergency cases there is a possibility of an urgent transfer to the present 2-day rendezvous profile. Thus, the short mission will be very flexible and will not influence the ISS mission plan. Fuel consumption for the nominal and emergency cases is defined by statistical simulation of the rendezvous mission. The qualitative analysis of the short-term and current 2-day rendezvous missions is performed.     

Usage of pre-flight data in short rendezvous mission of Soyuz-TMA spacecrafts

The paper describes the reduction of the vehicle autonomous flight duration before docking to the ISS. The Russian Soyuz-TMA spacecraft dock to the ISS two days after launch. Due to the limited volume inside Soyuz-TMA the reduction of time until docking to the ISS is very important, since the long stay of the cosmonauts in the limited volume adds to the strain of the space flight. In the previous papers of the authors it was shown that the existing capabilities of Soyuz-TMA, the ISS and the ground control loop make it possible to transfer to the five-orbit rendezvous profile. However, the analysis of the cosmonauts' schedule on the launch day shows that its duration is at the allowable limit and that is why it is necessary to find a way to further reduce the flight duration of Soyuz-TMA before docking to less than five orbits. In a traditional rendezvous profile, the calculation of rendezvous burns begins only after determination of the actual vehicle insertion orbit. The paper describes an approach in which the first two rendezvous burns are performed as soon as the spacecraft reaches the reference orbit and the values of the burns are calculated prior to the launch based on the pre-flight data for the nominal insertion. This approach decreases the duration of the rendezvous by one orbit. The demonstration flight of a Progress vehicle using the proposed profile was implemented on August 1, 2012 and completely confirmed the correctness of the imbedded principles. The paper considers the possible improvements of the proposed approach and recovery from the contingencies.     

One optimization problem for trajectories of spacecraft rendezvous mission to a group of asteroids

The optimization problem is considered for the trajectory of a spacecraft mission to a group of asteroids. The ratio of the final spacecraft mass to the flight time is maximized. The spacecraft is controlled by changing the value and direction of the jet engine thrust (small thrust). The motion of the Earth, asteroids, and the spacecraft proceeds in the central Newtonian gravitational field of the Sun. The Earth and asteroids are considered as point objects moving in preset elliptical orbits. The spacecraft departure from the Earth is considered in the context of the method of a point-like sphere of action, and the excess of hyperbolic velocity is limited. It is required sequentially to have a rendezvous with asteroids from four various groups, one from each group; it is necessary to be on the first three asteroids for no less than 90 days. The trajectory is finished by arrival at the last asteroid. Constraints on the time of departure from the Earth, flight duration, and final mass are taken into account in this problem.     

A Concept of Guidance for an Air-Launch Vehicle with Compensation of Initial Downrange and Launch Time Errors at Direct Insertion into a Rendezvous Point in the Orbit

A flying launcher (airplane carrier) can generate initial errors in position and time of launch. In order to compensate for these errors, one should have two control parameters in addition to those that provide for a spacecraft's injection into a preset orbit. We suggest the concept of controlling the trajectory of injection by choosing thrust values (within allowable regions of control) of second-stage engines or/and of a space booster of the Polyot carrier launcher. As an example, a rendezvous of the spacecraft at the end of its boost phase with the International Space Station (ISS) is considered. The methodology of the suggested approach can be extended to other mobile systems of launch to rendezvous orbits.     

Sсheme of rendezvous mission to lunar orbital station by spacecraft launched from Earth

In recent years, great experience has been accumulated in manned flight astronautics for rendezvous in near-Earth orbit. During flights of Apollo spacecraft with crews that landed on the surface of the Moon, the problem of docking a landing module launched from the Moon’s surface with the Apollo spacecraft’s command module in a circumlunar orbit was successfully solved. A return to the Moon declared by leading space agencies requires a scheme for rendezvous of a spacecraft launched from an earth-based cosmodromee with a lunar orbital station. This paper considers some ballistic schemes making it possible to solve this problem with minimum fuel expenditures.     

国外中继卫星对航天器交会对接的测控通信支持

中继卫星系统的天基测控通信是近代航天技术的重大突破,它能够有效地满足航天器交会对接的测控通信需要。文章分析了美国＂跟踪与数据中继卫星系统＂（TDRSS）和欧洲＂阿特米斯＂（ARTEMIS）中继卫星对＂自动转移飞行器＂（ATV）与＂国际空间站＂（ISS）交会对接任务的测控通信支持,总结了国外中继卫星系统支持航天器交会对接...     

美、俄航天器与"国际空间站"交会的轨道分析

发射航天器与"国际空间站"进行交会对接是美国和俄罗斯两国常规性的航天活动,在每次这类飞行的全过程中因特网的有关网站都将北美航天防空司令部(NORAD)追踪测量得到的航天器的轨道根数予以公布。据此对2005年7月美国航天飞机与"国际空间站"的交会对接以及2006年3-4月俄罗斯的联盟TMA-8载人飞船与"国际空间站"的交会对接过程的轨道进行了分析。     

航天器交会对接发射时间的选择与确定

在航天器交会对接飞行试验中,追踪飞船与目标飞船发射时间的选择不是独立的,而是相互关联的,并且涉及多方面因素,如轨道共面要求、对太阳电池帆板的日照角限制以及最终平移段目标飞船的照明需求等。综合考虑这些约束条件,提出追踪飞船与目标飞船发射时间选择与确定的方法,并以图表形式给出许多模拟计算结果,对航天器交会对接设计与飞行试验具有应用价值。     

About one problem of trajectory optimization

The optimization problem for trajectories of spacecraft flight from the Earth to an asteroid is considered in this paper. The flight is realized in the central Newtonian gravitational field of the Sun with a possibility of gravitational maneuvers near planets. Perturbation maneuvers are taken into account using the method of point area of action with a limitation on the flyby altitude. The spacecraft is controlled by changing the value and direction of the engine thrust. The problem is solved taking into account constraints on the launch time, flight duration, and minimum distance to the Sun.     

The Use of Quaternions in the Optimal Control Problems of Motion of the Center of Mass of a Spacecraft in a Newtonian Gravitational Field: III

The results of numerical solution of the problem of a rendezvous in the central Newtonian gravitational field of a controlled spacecraft with an uncontrollable spacecraft moving along an elliptic Keplerian orbit are presented. Two variants of the equations of motion for the spacecraft center of mass are used, written in rotating coordinate systems and using quaternion variables to describe the orientations of these coordinate systems. The problem of a rendezvous of two spacecraft is formulated [1, 2] as a problem of optimal control by the motion of the center of mass of a controlled spacecraft with a movable right end of the trajectory, and it is solved on the basis of Pontryagin's maximum principle. The paper is a continuation of papers [1, 2], where the problem of a rendezvous of two spacecraft has been considered theoretically using the two above variants of the equations of motion for the center of mass of the controlled spacecraft.     

Features of RadioAstron Mission Control

Support means of the Spektr-R spacecraft flight and features of the Mission Control Center operation and spacecraft control are considered. Software for scheduling and preparing sessions of controlling and simulating for the spacecraft operation are considered. The problems of ballistic navigation support of the spacecraft flight are presented. Ground spacecraft control segment and software for analyzing and imaging telemetric information are considered.     

面向木星卫星交会任务的探测器飞行路径规划

针对探测器在木星系统内多次借力的飞行路径和轨道优化设计问题,提出了一种基于三层优化思想的飞行路径规划方法,该方法可根据给定的任务约束和交会目标,自动搜索探测器在木星系统内的借力飞行序列,同时完成标称飞行轨道的优化设计。首先,文章在给定轨道动力学模型和木卫借力模型基础上,建立了面向木卫交会任务的两次借力飞行轨道优化设计模型和求解方法;然后,采用结合遗传算法、全局遍历和贪婪算法的三层优化设计思路,给出了一种环木飞行路径规划方法;最后,以木星四颗卫星的交会任务为例进行了仿真分析。仿真结果表明：针对木卫的交会任务,探测器速度增量需求随木卫借力次数的增多,呈现先显著减小后逐渐增大的现象;探测器采用多次木卫借力的策略,可显著降低探测器的速度增量需求;探测器速度增量达到最优之后,借力目标收敛于交会目标,且速度增量随借力次数的进一步增多而逐渐增大。     

Using the PROGRESS transport spacecraft in structure of the International Space Station for realization of scientific experiments under microgravity conditions

The problem is considered of using the PROGRESS transport spacecraft, which will deliver the payload on the ISS, as a free flying platform for realization of space experiments. For maintenance of the ISS 5-6 PROGRESS flights per year are planned. Usually after delivery of the payload the PROGRESS undocks from the ISS and burns down in the Earth atmosphere. However, the operating conditions of its onboard systems allow to prolong operation and to make free flight near to the station and repeatedly to be docked to it. It is offered to use this possibility for performing experiments on Material Science.     

有限推力航天器双主动交会的最优控制

研究了两异面椭圆轨道的有限推力航天器在协同轨道机动以完成交会任务(双主动交会)时的最优控制问题.构造了有限推力航天器双主动交会的数学模型,讨论了其实现最优控制的必要条件.针对推进剂总消耗最少和有限推进剂约束下的最短时间交会2种不同情况,采用直接配置法和序列二次规划法求解了反平方力场中的最优控制数值解.考察了不同初始参数对双主动交会最优控制历程的影响,并将双主动交会形式与主被动交会形式进行了对比.结果表明,当两航天器质量接近时,双主动交会在减少燃料消耗或缩短交会所需时间方面具有明显优势.     

基于气动辅助变轨的变气动外形飞行器概念研究--最优控制律问题

从一个天地往返飞行器的上升轨道和再入返回轨道的优化，以及适用不同飞行任务的变轨要求的气动外形问题，提出一项基于气动力辅助变轨的变气动外形飞行器的新概念研究。对于一个固定气动外形飞行器要同时满足上升轨道有效载荷最大和再入轨道热流峰值、过载峰值及机动性能约束下的成本最低往往是困难的。若同时满足不同飞行任务：飞往太空站的运输任务，空间拦截和交会机动巡航任务及星际探测任务，则更为困难，实际上是不可能的。文章研究基于气动力辅助变轨，在热流约束下，气动外形参数变化对最优控制的影响。其结论为：热流约束下的最优控制解，包括考虑推力协同变轨，除了在非约束弧的滚转角不直接受气动外形影响外，其余的控制律，升力系数和滚转角都是气动外形参数和攻角的函数。因而变气动外形可作为一项新技术，即通过气动外形参数变化和相应的变轨策略而获得性能和成本都最佳的用途很广的一种新型飞行器。     

绳系卫星系统交会对接的应用与设计

文章介绍了绳系系统交会对接这项新技术在空间中的应用。主要包括:空间站利用系绳与航天器交会对接,实现为空间站提供各种供给;利用绳系系统与空间碎片对接,可回收或转移空间碎片,保护空间环境;利用一级或多级的绳系系统组成轨道转移系统,实现向地球同步轨道或火星轨道上转移和运送有效载荷。文章还介绍了绳系交会对接系统的设计,包括系统的一般控制方法和算法以及系统的结构设计。随着各项相关技术的发展,绳系卫星系统交会对接将发挥更大作用。     

Constant-thrust glideslope guidance algorithm for time-fixed rendezvous in real halo orbit

This paper presents a fixed-time glideslope guidance algorithm that is capable of guiding the spacecraft approaching a target vehicle on a quasi-periodic halo orbit in real Earth–Moon system. To guarantee the flight time is fixed, a novel strategy for designing the parameters of the algorithm is given. Based on the numerical solution of the linearized relative dynamics of the Restricted Three-Body Problem (expressed in inertial coordinates with a time-variant nature), the proposed algorithm breaks down the whole rendezvous trajectory into several arcs. For each arc, a two-impulse transfer is employed to obtain the velocity increment (delta-v) at the joint between arcs. Here we respect the fact that instantaneous delta-v cannot be implemented by any real engine, since the thrust magnitude is always finite. To diminish its effect on the control, a thrust duration as well as a thrust direction are translated from the delta-v in the context of a constant thrust engine (the most robust type in real applications). Furthermore, the ignition and cutoff delays of the thruster are considered as well. With this high-fidelity thrust model, the relative state is then propagated to the next arc by numerical integration using a complete Solar System model. In the end, final corrective control is applied to insure the rendezvous velocity accuracy. To fully validate the proposed guidance algorithm, Monte Carlo simulation is done by incorporating the navigational error and the thrust direction error. Results show that our algorithm can effectively maintain control over the time-fixed rendezvous transfer, with satisfactory final position and velocity accuracies for the near-range guided phase.     

Rosetta: The ESA comet rendezvous mission

Rosetta was selected in November 1993 for the ESA Cornerstone 3 mission, to be launched in 2003, dedicated to the exploration of the small bodies of the solar system (asteroids and comets). Following this selection, the Rosetta mission and its spacecraft have been completely reviewed: this paper presents the studies performed the proposed mission and the resulting spacecraft design.

Three mission opportunities have been identified in 2003–2004, allowing rendezvous with a comet. From a single Ariane 5 launch, the transfer to the comet orbit will be supported by planetary gravity assists (two from Earth, one from Venus or Mars); during the transfer sequence, two asteroid fly-bys will occur, allowing first mission science phases. The comet rendezvous will occur 8–9 years after launch; Rosetta will orbit around the comet and the main science mission phase will take place up to the comet perihelion (1–2 years duration).

The spacecraft design is driven (i) by the communication scenario with the Earth and its equipment, (ii) by the autonomy requirements for the long cruise phases which are not supported by the ground stations, (iii) by the solar cells solar array for the electrical power supply and (iv) by the navigation scenario and sensors for cruise, target approach and rendezvous phases. These requirements will be developed and the satellite design will be presented.     

Six-impulse maneuvers for rendezvous of spacecraft in near-circular noncoplanar orbits

The problem of a rendezvous of two spacecraft in close near-circular noncoplanar orbits is considered. The angles of applying velocity impulses and their orientation are determined from necessary conditions of optimality derived using the basis vector theory. For non-degenerate six-impulse solutions the analytical formulas are found that approximate the dependence of moments of applying velocity impulses and angles determining their orientation on the rendezvous duration. The total characteristic velocity of six-impulse solutions (or five-impulse solutions derived from them) is compared to the total characteristic velocity obtained when solving the Lambert problem.     

组合体与飞船联合轨道维持

通过组合体与飞船联合轨道维持解决了组合体和飞船轨道多特征参数的控制问题。建立了升交点经度、轨道高度和偏心率的控制方程以及基于时间关联特性的升交点赤经和制动点高度耦合控制方程和偏心率保持的双冲量耦合控制方程。结合组合体与飞船的飞行特点,制定了组合体轨道维持实现升交点赤经和轨道偏心率以及飞船轨道维持实现制动点高度的联合控制策略。耦合控制方程使得组合体和飞船轨道维持的控制量分配合理,融合了各次控制之间存在的耦合影响,设计了联合轨道维持策略迭代计算流程。基于神舟九号交会对接飞行过程,通过多组仿真算例校验了组合体与飞船轨道多特征参数的联合优化控制,具有较好的工程应用价值。