Estimation of the Probability of Capture into a Resonance Mode of Motion for a Spacecraft during Its Descent in the Atmosphere

The estimation of the probability of capture into a resonance mode of motion is considered for a spacecraft with a small asymmetry during its entry into the atmosphere. It is assumed that the initial conditions of spacecraft motion are distributed uniformly in some sufficiently small domain. The problem is solved for the equations of spacecraft motion linear with respect to the angle of attack. An analytical estimate of the probability of the spacecraft capture into the resonance corresponding to an ascending branch of the velocity head is obtained. The emphasis in the analysis of the estimate is made on the effect of the spacecraft asymmetry type on the probability of capture. A comparison of the estimate with the results of numerical computation is carried out. A model problem concerning the construction of the domain of the spacecraft center of mass locations, most dangerous from the point of view of the realization of the stable resonant modes of motion, is solved.     

Equilibrium attitude and stability of a spacecraft on a stationary orbit around an asteroid

The stationary orbits around an asteroid, if exist, can be used for communication and navigation purposes just as around the Earth. The equilibrium attitude and stability of a rigid spacecraft on a stationary orbit around a uniformly-rotating asteroid are studied. The linearized equations of attitude motion are obtained under the small motion assumption. Then, the equilibrium attitude is determined in both cases of a general and a symmetrical spacecraft. Due to the higher-order inertia integrals of the spacecraft, the equilibrium attitude is slightly away from zero Euler angles. Then necessary conditions of stability of this conservative system are analyzed based on the linearized equations of motion. The effects of different parameters, including the harmonic coefficients C₂₀ and C₂₂ of the asteroid and higher-order inertia integrals of the spacecraft, on the stability are assessed and compared. Due to the significantly non-spherical shape and rapid rotation of the asteroid, the effects of the harmonic coefficients C₂₀ and C₂₂ are very significant, while effects of the third- and fourth-order inertia integrals of the spacecraft can be neglected. Considering a spacecraft on a stationary orbit around an example asteroid, we show that the classical stability domain predicted by the Beletskii–DeBra–Delp method on a circular orbit in a central gravity field is modified due to the non-spherical mass distribution of the asteroid. Our results are confirmed by a numerical simulation.     

飞行器围绕小行星的轨道运动

分析了飞行器围绕小行星轨道运动的特点，介绍了所建立的表述这一问题的理论基础。采用三种不同方法从几个侧面揭示了这一问题的本质特征。给出了所完成的研究这一问题的进展、结果和相互联系，其中包括轨道摄动、共振运动和周期轨道运动。这一问题的核心和难点是轨道的稳定性问题。     

On stability of a rotating spacecraft partially filled with liquid: The case of a single cavity

The problem of stability of a rotating spacecraft with a cavity partially filled with liquid to a small depth is considered with regard to the distinction in angular velocities of spacecraft and liquid rotation and their variability (the modes of the spacecraft’s stationary rotation, spin-up, and rotation deceleration). The regions of stability (in space of the characteristic parameters of an object) are found, and mathematical simulating of the disturbed motion is carried out.     

Motion of a descent capsule relative to its center of mass when deploying the orbital tether system

The spatial motion relative to the center of mass is considered for a capsule on an elastic tether, when it is unrolled from a spacecraft by a special program. The spacecraft is in a circular orbit and oriented relative to the local vertical, which is guaranteed by operation of its own stabilization system. Angular motion of the capsule relative to the tether direction is studied, and the main factors influencing the stability of this motion are analyzed. An approximate quasi-linear mathematical model of the capsule attitude motion is obtained, which allows one to estimate the influence of major disturbances of its motion. The results of numerical simulations are presented for characteristic cases of the capsule motion.     

含板类柔性附件的充液航天器动力学研究

对含有板类柔性附件和曲壁轴对称充液储腔的复杂航天器系统进行动力学建模和耦合机理研究。首先，采用Kirchhoff-Love薄板理论对航天器的板类柔性附件进行研究，通过D’Alembert原理得到柔性附件的振动方程，运用模态假设法将混合方程转换为常微分方程。其次，通过推导充液航天器储腔内任意点的运动，得到储腔液体的牵连速度势函数，采用Gauss超几何级数得到液体相对速度势函数的解析形式，通过Hamilton变分原理推导液体晃动的运动方程，以及液体速度势函数模态系数的控制方程。最后采用准坐标Lagrange方程得到耦合航天器系统的状态方程，通过数值仿真校验系统动力学模型的有效性。研究结果表明，刚性平台、液体、柔性附件的相互耦合效应使得航天器系统存在复杂动力学行为，在复杂航天器系统动力学建模过程中需要充分考虑液体晃动和柔性附件振动的影响，柔性附件的安装位置对于耦合航天器系统的动力学行为也有着重要影响。     

考虑太阳帆板振动的空间绳系拖曳动力学与控制

针对使用空间绳网捕获带有太阳帆板等柔性附件的大型失效航天器的碎片清除任务,充分考虑了拖曳过程中柔性附件产生的振动对系统的稳定造成的影响。首先采用凯恩方法建立了失效航天器绳系拖曳系统动力学模型,在建模过程中充分考虑系绳的质量和振动、帆板的振动、系统的轨道运动对姿态的影响等,使动力学模型更加详细和完整,且该动力学模型不受失效航天器所处位置的限制,适用于任意轨道上的失效航天器的拖曳离轨任务;之后根据平衡状态的特点,求取了系统的平衡解,并在平衡解附近对动力学方程线性化,然后采用李雅普诺夫方法分析了系统的稳定性及各参数的变化规律;并针对失效航天器可能产生的姿态章动设计了常值张力切换控制律;最后采用数值仿真的方法分析了失效航天器的帆板振动对绳系拖曳过程的影响,校验了控制律的有效性。     

航天器环绕小行星Ivar的运动分析

将小行星Ivar近似为三轴椭球体，给出了非球形引力势函数，建立了航天器环绕小行星Ivar的轨道动力学方程。利用Jacobi积分常数绘制了航天器在Ivar周围的零速度曲线，并分析了航天器的可能运动区域，给出了航天器不碰撞小行星Ivar的边界条件及不同偏心率下的近拱点半径。分析了小行星Ivar扁率和椭率对环绕轨道的影响，数学仿真结果表明：在一个轨道周期内，顺行轨道的开普勒能量、轨道角动量、偏心率和近拱点半径变化较大，而逆行轨道的相应参数变化较小。     

航天飞行器相对运动动力学及其控制方法

采用本地轨道从标系对两邻飞船间相对运动动力学展开研究，指出在相对运动中也存在平衡状态，用相平面方法分析了其稳定性，基于此分析，综合出相对运动控制方法，即距离速率控制方法，受控运动轨迹是一条稳定的稳态直线，进而建立了全方位距离速率控制方法。最后以系绳卫星系统和飞船安全为例完成了计算机模拟。     

载体姿态无扰的自由漂浮空间机器人运动学特性研究

针对载体姿态无扰的自由漂浮空间机器人的运动学问题,引入具有非完整特性的载体 姿态无扰约束方程,推导了载体姿态无扰的自由漂浮空间机器人广义雅可比矩阵。采用等效 杆的概念,分析了普通状态的自由漂浮空间机器人和载体姿态无扰的自由漂浮空间机器人可 达工作空间;基于载体姿态无扰的自由漂浮空间机器人广义雅可比矩阵所得到的奇异方程, 研究了载体姿态无扰的自由漂浮空间机器人动力学奇异性。仿真结果验证了普通状态的自由 漂浮空间机器人与载体姿态无扰的自由漂浮空间机器人运动学问题的差异性。研究结果为载 体姿态无扰的自由漂浮空间机器人运动规划及控制研究奠定了理论基础。
     

有扰情况下欠驱动刚性航天器旋转轴稳定研究

研究欠驱动刚性航天器受到正弦干扰力矩作用时的旋转轴指向稳定控制问题。采用欧拉-泊松形式描述航天器的运动方程,然后分别针对轴对称情况和非轴对称情况设计控制律,并结合Lyapunov直接法和LaSalle不变性定理证明控制律的全局渐近稳定性。理论分析和仿真结果都表明新的控制律能够实现旋转轴指向全局渐近稳定。     

Analysis of the orbital motion of the asteroid Apophis’ satellite

We have analyzed the orbital disturbed spacecraft motion near an asteroid. The equations of the asteroidocentric spacecraft motion have been used with regard to three perturbations from celestial bodies, the asteroid’s nonsphericity, and solar radiation pressure. It has been shown that the orbital parameters of the main spacecraft and a small satellite with a radio beacon can be selected such that the orbits are rather stable for a fairly long period of time, i.e., a few weeks for the main spacecraft with an orbit initial radius of ~0.5 km and a few years before approaching Apophis with the Earth in 2029, for a small satellite at an orbit initial radius of ~1.5 km. The initial orientation of the spacecraft orbital plane perpendicular to the sunward direction is optimal from the point of view of the stability of the spacecraft flight near an asteroid.     

带空间机械臂的充液航天器姿态动力学研究

本文研究空间机械臂运动对充液航天器姿态的影响，讨论了利用机械臂调整充液航天器姿态问题、以及机械臂操作与航天器姿态稳定的协调问题。研究表明：影响充液航天器姿态的因素除了机械臂运动的路径，还有机械臂运动的时间、机械臂转角的变化规律、液体的粘性、质量和惯性张量等。其中机械臂运动时间的影响比较明显，而且机械臂运动得越慢对航天器姿态的影响越大。合理地选择机械臂操作时间和机械臂转角变化规律，可以实现机械臂操作     

Stability of large flexible damped spacecraft modeled as elastic continua

Vibrational stability of a large flexible, structurally damped spacecraft subject to large rigid body rotations is analysed modelling the system as an elastic continuum. Using solution of rigid body attitude motion under torque free conditions and modal analysis, the vibrational equations are reduced to ordinary differential equations with time-varying coefficients. Stability analysis is carried out using Floquet theory and Sonin-Polya theorem. The cases of spinning and non-spinning spacecraft idealized as a flexible beam plate undergoing simple structural vibration are analysed in detail. The critical damping required for stabilization is shown to be a function of the spacecraft's inertia ratio and the level of disturbance.     

A novel single thruster control strategy for spacecraft attitude stabilization

Feasibility of achieving three axis attitude stabilization using a single thruster is explored in this paper. Torques are generated using a thruster orientation mechanism with which the thrust vector can be tilted on a two axis gimbal. A robust nonlinear control scheme is developed based on the nonlinear kinematic and dynamic equations of motion of a rigid body spacecraft in the presence of gravity gradient torque and external disturbances. The spacecraft, controlled using the proposed concept, constitutes an underactuated system (a system with fewer independent control inputs than degrees of freedom) with nonlinear dynamics. Moreover, using thruster gimbal angles as control inputs make the system non-affine (control terms appear nonlinearly in the state equation). This necessitates the control algorithms to be developed based on nonlinear control theory since linear control methods are not directly applicable. The stability conditions for the spacecraft attitude motion for robustness against uncertainties and disturbances are derived to establish the regions of asymptotic 3-axis attitude stabilization. Several numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed controller and validate the theoretical results. The control algorithm is shown to compensate for time-varying external disturbances including solar radiation pressure, aerodynamic forces, and magnetic disturbances; and uncertainties in the spacecraft inertia parameters. The numerical results also establish the robustness of the proposed control scheme to negate disturbances caused by orbit eccentricity.     

On the stability of stationary motions of a system of coaxial bodies

We consider the stability of stationary motions of a model of a spacecraft as a system of coaxial bodies with small asymmetry caused by the shift of the axes of dynamic symmetry of bodies relative to the axis of rotation. We determine the stationary motions of the system; their stability is studied with respect to both the projections of angular velocity and the position of the axis of rotation. The sufficient conditions for the stability of these stationary motions are obtained by constructing a Lyapunov function, and the necessary conditions are obtained by analyzing the corresponding linearized equations of perturbed motion.     

The Motion of a Material Point in a Newtonian Field under the Action of Equiangular Thrust

The problems of investigation and optimization of the motion of spacecraft are extensively discussed in the literature. Nevertheless, in many cases a large variety of qualitative characteristics of their motion and of the form of their trajectories are still unclear. In this paper we consider a plane equiangular acceleration of a spacecraft both in a Newtonian field and in its absence (at a large distance from the center of attraction). The general equation of a trajectory of plane acceleration is presented with the introduction of a new variable, an index of an exponent, which allows one to obtain convenient solutions at different values of the time-independent angle of inclination of the vector of thrust to the spacecraft's radius vector (i.e., when equiangular acceleration takes place). Asymptotic solutions are constructed and an interesting fact is revealed. Namely, it is shown that when the center of attraction exists or is absent, for all initial conditions the trajectories appearing at the above equiangular acceleration of a material point tend to the standard logarithmic spirals at a large distance from the center. Specifically, when the value of transverse (perpendicular to the radius vector) thrust is constant, there appears a logarithmic spiral with an angle of inclination to the radius vector equal to 35.264°. Different forms of the trajectory of equiangular acceleration of spacecraft at a low thrust are also studied. The results obtained can be useful for the investigation and choice of optimum space trajectories.     

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.     

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

The problem of optimal control is considered for the motion of the center of mass of a spacecraft in a central Newtonian gravitational field. For solving the problem, two variants of the equations of motion for the spacecraft center of mass are used, written in rotating coordinate systems. Both the variants have a quaternion variable among the phase variables. In the first variant this variable characterizes the orientation of an instantaneous orbit of the spacecraft and (simultaneously) the spacecraft location in this orbit, while in the second variant only the instantaneous orbit orientation is specified by it. The suggested equations are convenient in the respect that they allow the general three-dimensional problem of optimal control by the motion of the spacecraft center of mass to be considered as a composition of two interrelated problems. In the first variant these problems are (1) the problem of control of the shape and size of the spacecraft orbit and (2) the problem of control of the orientation of a spacecraft orbit and the spacecraft location in this orbit. The second variant treats (1) the problem of control of the shape and size of the spacecraft orbit and the orbit location of the spacecraft and (2) the problem of control of the orientation of the spacecraft orbit. The use of quaternion variables makes this consideration most efficient. The problem of optimal control is solved on the basis of the maximum principle. Several first integrals of the systems of equations of the boundary value problems of the maximum principle are found. Transformations are suggested that reduce the dimensions of the systems of differential equations of boundary value problems (without complicating them). Geometrical interpretations are given to the transformations and first integrals. The relation of the vectorial first integral of one of the derived systems of equations (which is an analog of the well-known vectorial first integral of the studied problem of optimal control) with the found quaternion first integral is considered. In this paper, which is the first part of the work, we consider the models of motion of the spacecraft center of mass that employ quaternion variables. The problem of optimal control by the motion of the spacecraft center of mass is investigated on the basis of the first variant of equations of motion. An example of a numerical solution of the problem is given.     

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

The problem of a rendezvous in the central Newtonian gravitational field is considered for a controlled spacecraft and an uncontrollable spacecraft moving along an elliptic Keplerian orbit. For solving the problem, 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. In the first variant of the equations of motion a quaternion variable characterizes the orientation of an instantaneous orbit of the spacecraft and the spacecraft location in the orbit, while in the second variant it characterizes the orientation of the plane of the spacecraft instantaneous orbit and the location of a generalized pericenter in the orbit. The quaternion variable used in the second variant of the equations of motion is a quaternion osculating element of the spacecraft orbit. The problem of a rendezvous of two spacecraft is formulated 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.