Autonomous guidance and control of Earth-orbiting formation flying spacecraft: Closing the loop

Previous work on autonomous formation flying guidance and control identified three key challenges to overcome in order to obtain a fully autonomous guidance and control loop: an accurate but simple model of relative motion about elliptical and perturbed orbits, an efficient way of performing conflicting requirements trade-off with power-limited on-board computers, and finally an optimal or near-optimal control algorithm easy to implement on a flight computer. This paper first summarizes recent developments on each of these subject that help to overcome these challenges, developments which are then used as building blocks for an autonomous formation flying guidance and control system. This system autonomously performs trade-offs between conflicting requirements, i.e. minimization of fuel cost, formation accuracy and equal repartition of the fuel expenditure within the formation. Simulation results show that a complete guidance and control loop can be established using mainly analytical results and with very few numerical optimization which facilitates on-board implementation.     

System test results from the GNC experiments on the PRISMA in-orbit test bed

The PRISMA in-orbit test bed will demonstrate guidance, navigation, and control strategies for spacecraft formation flying and rendezvous. The project is funded by the Swedish National Space Board and the prime contractor is the Swedish Space Corporation. The project is further supported by the German Aerospace Center, the Technical University of Denmark, and the French Space Agency. PRISMA was launched on June 15, 2010 and after three weeks of operations, all on-board systems and units have passed an initial commissioning phase. Separation of the two PRISMA satellites from each other is expected by mid-August 2010.PRISMA consists of two spacecraft: MAIN and TARGET. The MAIN spacecraft has full orbit control capability while TARGET is attitude controlled only.The Swedish Space Corporation is responsible for three groups of guidance, navigation, and control experiments. These experiments include GPS- and vision-based formation flying during which the spacecraft will fly in passive as well as forced motion. The three experiments are: autonomous formation flying, proximity operations with final approach/recede maneuvers, and autonomous rendezvous. This paper presents system test results from two of these experiments as obtained with the flight-ready system. The system tests consist of a series of simulations performed on the flight model spacecraft with a large amount of hardware in the loop.     

某防空导弹制导控制半实物仿真系统设计

介绍了某防空导弹制导控制半实物仿真系统的设计,给出了仿真系统的组成。其中,导引头和天线罩安装于导引头仿真转台上,惯测装置置于位置速率转台上,并采用真实视线法进行半实物仿真。仿真和导弹飞行试验结果表明,该半实物仿真系统有效地模拟了飞行试验导弹的飞行过程,仿真试验具有较高的重复性和置信度。     

基于Lyapunov直接法的航天器近程导引控制律

基于C-W方程的相对动力学模型,用Lyapunov直接法设计了一种运行于近圆轨道航天器的近程导引控制律,给出了控制模型。该控制律简单有效,无需求解系统方程即可分析和判断近程导引的稳定性进而施加控制。仿真结果表明,该法的导引精度可满足要求,其收敛时间和燃料消耗也在可接受的范围内。     

卫星GPS组合姿态确定系统方案研究

采用ＧＰＳ定姿技术作为卫星高精度自主姿态确定系统的备份，可以提高系统可靠性。在小型和微小卫星上采用ＧＰＳ定姿技术，保证在满足重量、功耗和其它技术指标的条件下，姿态和轨道控制系统全面满足任务要求。本方案为探索当今姿态和轨道控制系统基本型的研究迈出了一步。     

椭圆轨道编队飞行的典型模态与构型保持控制方法

基于T H方程推导了椭圆参考轨道编队飞行的周期性条件,讨论了椭圆参考轨道卫星编队飞行的典型模态。该模态是圆形参考轨道空间圆形模态的推广。论述了二阶带谐项(J2项)摄动对编队飞行构型保持的影响,基于相平面法提出了一种编队飞行构型保持控制方法。该控制方法不是消极的抵消干扰的影响,而是积极的利用干扰的作用达到节约燃料并精确保持构型的目的。仿真表明,采用该控制方法可对椭圆参考轨道卫星编队构型进行有效的保持。     

PRISMA—A formation flying project in implementation phase

The PRISMA project for autonomous formation flying and rendezvous has passed its critical design review in February–March 2007. The project comprises two satellites which are an in-orbit testbed for Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) algorithms and sensors for advanced formation flying and rendezvous. Several experiments involving GNC algorithms, sensors and thrusters will be performed during a 10 month mission with launch planned for the second half of 2009.The project is run by the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) in close cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the French Space Agency (CNES) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Additionally, the project also will demonstrate flight worthiness of two novel motor technologies: one that uses environmentally clean and non-hazardous propellant, and one that consists of a microthruster system based on MEMS technology.The project will demonstrate autonomous formation flying and rendezvous based on several sensors—GPS, RF-based and vision based—with different objectives and in different combinations. The GPS-based onboard navigation system, contributed by DLR, offers relative orbit information in real-time in decimetre range. The RF-based navigation instrument intended for DARWIN, under CNES development, will be tested for the first time on PRISMA, both for instrument performance, but also in closed loop as main sensor for formation flying. Several rendezvous and proximity manoeuvre experiments will be demonstrated using only vision based sensor information coming from the modified star camera provided by DTU. Semi-autonomous operations ranging from 200 km to 1 m separation between the satellites will be demonstrated.With the project now in the verification phase particular attention is given to the specific formation flying and rendezvous functionality on instrument, GNC-software and system level.     

Automatic rendez-vous scheme proposed for an unmanned (or manned) vehicle with a space station

A method for automatic rendez-vous between an active vehicle, and a passive orbiting vehicle (typically a space station on a circular orbit) is presented. The main interest of the method is the simplicity of system implementation, and the small requirements on vehicle maneuvres and on-board computations, rather than in the mathematical optimization of fuel expenditure or elapsed time.The chaser is at first put on a circular orbit, lower and nearly coplanar to the orbit of the target (space station). An open-loop transfer of the chaser is performed, in order to put it in a window appropriated for automatic rendez-vous. When the relative distance of the two vehicles is small enough, a radar is used on the chaser for continuous determination of relative position and speed. An on-board computer is used then to derive the moments of application of corrective thrusts and their orientation. The scheme leads to a series of corrections nearly equally spaced in time, and the chaser approaches the target exponentially. Out of plane errors are also corrected. When the vehicles are close, the docking phase is initiated, which can be performed either automatically or manually. Even in manual control, an automatic loop is used in order to give the pilot simple motions in response to the control.     

A six-degree-of-freedom hardware-in-the-loop simulator for small spacecraft

This paper presents a novel six degree of freedom, ground-based experimental testbed, designed for testing new guidance, navigation, and control algorithms for the relative motion of nano-satellites. The development of innovative guidance, navigation and control methodologies is a necessary step in the advance of autonomous spacecraft. The testbed allows for testing these algorithms in a one-g laboratory environment. The system stands out among the existing experimental platforms because all degrees of freedom of motion are controlled via real thrusters, as it would occur on orbit, with no use of simulated dynamics and servo actuators. The hardware and software components of the testbed are detailed in the paper, as is the motion tracking system used to perform its navigation. A Lyapunov-based strategy for closed loop control is used in hardware-in-the loop experiments to successfully demonstrate the full six-degree-of-freedom system׳s capabilities. In particular, the test case shows a two-phase regulation experiment, commanding both position and attitude to reach specified final state vectors.     

基于CAN总线的全自主移动车辆信息网络设计

面向全自主轮式移动车辆设计了基于CAN总线的控制-感知-导航通信系统。提出了CAN总线带宽分配原则及通信协议,并针对典型导航传感器系统进行了通信负载-可靠性试验,给出了多自主移动车辆的信息网络的建立方法。实验结果表明:基于CAN总线实现车体导航-控制可满足自主控制的实时性和可靠性要求。     

解析求解非线性相对运动的最优重构问题

椭圆轨道相对运动模型的线性化导致其在大尺度相对运动应用中精度不能满足需求。针对任意椭圆轨道上的大尺度航天器编队最优重构问题,提出一种基于椭圆轨道非线性相对运动模型的近似解析求解方法。首先通过变分法建立了非线性最优重构问题的数学模型;然后采用摄动法,以偏近点角为积分变量求得了不含特殊积分的解析开环最优控制,有效地避免了真近点角域下最优控制解所含有的特殊积分。仿真验证了所求最优控制的有效性和优越性,结果表明在相对运动尺度较大时,相比基于椭圆轨道线性化模型的最优控制,在燃耗保持相近的情况下,所求非线性控制有效地降低了重构误差。     

Autonomous optical navigation for orbits around Earth–Moon collinear libration points

The analysis of optical navigation in an Earth–Moon libration point orbit is examined. Missions to libration points have been winning momentum during the last decades. Its unique characteristics make it suitable for a number of operational and scientific goals. Literature aimed to study dynamics, guidance and control of unstable orbits around collinear libration points is vast. In particular, several papers deal with the optimisation of the Δv budget associated to the station-keeping of these orbits. One of the results obtained in literature establishes the critical character of the Moon–Earth system in this aspect. The reason for this behaviour is twofold: high Δv cost and short optimal manoeuvre spacing. Optical autonomous navigation can address the issue of allowing a more flexible manoeuvre design. This technology has been selected to overcome similar difficulties in other critical scenarios. This paper analyses in detail this solution. A whole GNC system is defined to meet the requirements imposed by the unstable dynamic environment. Finally, a real simulation of a spacecraft following a halo orbit of the L2 Moon–Earth system is carried out to assess the actual capabilities of the optical navigation in this scenario.     

Application of SDRE technique to orbital and attitude control of spacecraft formation flying

This paper proposes the application of a nonlinear control technique for coupled orbital and attitude relative motion of formation flying. Recently, mission concepts based on the formations of spacecraft that require an increased performance level for in-space maneuvers and operations, have been proposed. In order to guarantee the required performance level, those missions will be characterized by very low inter-satellite distance and demanding relative pointing requirements. Therefore, an autonomous control with high accuracy will be required, both for the control of relative distance and relative attitude. The control system proposed in this work is based on the solution of the State-Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE), which is one of the more promising nonlinear techniques for regulating nonlinear systems in all the major branches of engineering. The coupling of the relative orbital and attitude motion is obtained considering the same set of thrusters for the control of both orbital and attitude relative dynamics. In addition, the SDRE algorithm is implemented with a timing update strategy both for the controller and the proposed nonlinear filter. The proposed control system approach has been applied to the design of a nonlinear controller for an up-to-date formation mission, which is ESA Proba-3. Numerical simulations considering a tracking signal for both orbital and attitude relative maneuver during an operative orbit of the mission are presented.     

Nonlinear relative position control of precise formation flying using polynomial eigenstructure assignment

A nonlinear relative position control algorithm is designed for spacecraft precise formation flying. Taking into account the effect of J₂ gravitational perturbations and atmospheric drag, the relative motion dynamic equation of the formation flying is developed in a quasi-linear parameter-varying (QLPV) form without approximation. Base on this QLPV model, polynomial eigenstructure assignment (PEA) is applied to design the controller. The resulting PEA controller is a function of system state and parameters, and produces a closed-loop system with invariant performance over a wide range of conditions. Numerical simulation results show that the performance can fulfill precise formation flying requirements.     

导引头隔离度对开关控制制导回路稳定性的影响

为研究导引头隔离度寄生回路对开关控制制导回路稳定性的影响,首先应用回路等价变换原理统一了动力陀螺式和速率陀螺式导引头模型;然后,为分析开关系统稳定性,建立了含有隔离度寄生回路的开关控制制导回路等效Lure’模型;对比得出描述函数法在系统稳定保守性和稳定性趋势预测方面优于Popov稳定性理论和仿真方法,因此提出应用描述函数法对寄生回路稳定性进行分析。分析了在不同飞行器参数和调制器参数下导线和摩擦干扰力矩对寄生回路稳定域的影响。进一步,针对不稳定寄生回路提出了采用滞后校正网络来改善系统稳定性,改善后的制导回路仿真结果表明在外界干扰作用下,回路中不会再出现极限环,避免了脉冲喷管的“正反开”;飞行器机动跟踪目标时,保证制导精度基本不变的情况下,节省了燃料。     

Spacecraft formation flying: A review and new results on state feedback control

This paper presents a review of previous work within the field of spacecraft formation flying, including modeling approaches and controller design. In addition, five new approaches for tracking control of relative translational motion between two spacecraft in a leader–follower formation are derived. One PD controller with feedback linearisation is derived and shown to result in an exponentially stable equilibrium point of the closed loop system. Four nonlinear controllers are derived and proved by using Lyapunov theory and Matrosov's theorem to leave the closed loop system uniformly globally asymptotically stable. Results from the simulation of the system with the derived controllers are presented, and compared with respect to power consumption and tracking performance.     

基于Unscented滤波的伴飞卫星自主相对导航滤波器

为提高导航滤波器的稳定性和计算精度,根据卫星自主导航原理,构造了基于Unscented Kalman滤波（UKF）的伴飞卫星自主相对导航滤波器,建立了算法模型。仿真结果表明：UKF的滤波精度优于扩展Kalman滤波（EKF）,且无需计算量测方程的Jacobi矩阵,计算量小、易于实现。     

CCSDS Proximity-1及其在编队飞行小卫星群中的应用

讨论近距离空间链路协议 Proximity- 1的层次结构和传输帧 Version- 3构成 ,分析包括 CCSDS标准包和用户自定义数据的数据业务及定时业务。针对编队飞行小卫星群的星间数据交换和自主测控 ,对 Proximity- 1应用于小卫星群星间通信和星间测距作了探讨     

椭圆轨道航天器自主接近的制导律研究

椭圆轨道自主交会接近制导律问题是当今空间技术领域中的一个研究不足。基于T\|H方程 ,设计了两种仅利用相对运动信息、控制力定常的椭圆轨道自主接近制导律：滑模制导律和 势函数制导律。从两种制导律的特性分析,滑模制导律对系统的运行轨迹更加苛刻,而势函 数制导律更加充分地利用了系统的自由运动,具有更好的控制性能。数值仿真结果也表明： 对 于相同的制导目标、制导时间和制导精度,势函数制导律所需的喷气开关次数和速度增量均较少。     

一种新型卫星携气瓶推力器喷气时长计算方法

卫星自主编队保持通常采用开环控制模式,需要星载计算机(AOCC)根据推进系统的工作状态实时计算喷气时长。由于AOCC计算能力有限,在携气瓶推力器仿真测试过程中采用的速度增量关机方式不适用于在轨喷气时长的计算。为减小AOCC运算量,提高控制精度,开展了携气瓶推力器的动力学建模仿真,进行了寿命期间的性能分析。针对该时变推力模型,设计了AOCC喷气时长计算方法。通过推力的状态传递和推力预测,构造了以喷气时长为变量的代数方程,并将该方法应用到一组多次喷气情况下的喷气时长计算。仿真结果显示:与以往基于单点测量的推力器喷气时长的计算方法相比,采用该方法计算的喷气时长更接近理论值,能够有效提高卫星自主编队保持的控制精度。