Discrete time multiple spacecraft formation flying attitude optimal control in presence of relative state constraints

This paper addresses the challenge of synchronized multiple spacecraft attitude reorientation in presence of pointing and boundary constraints with limited inter-spacecraft communication link. Relative attitude pointing constraint among the fleet of spacecraft has also been modeled and considered during the attitude maneuvers toward the desired states. Formation fling control structure that consists of decentralized path planners based on virtual structure approach joint with discrete time optimal local controller is designed to achieve the mission’s goals. Due to digital computing of spacecraft’s onboard computer, local optimal controller based on discrete time prediction and correction algorithm has been utilized. The time step of local optimal algorithm execution is designed so that the spacecraft track their desired attitudes with appropriate error bound. The convergence of the proposed architecture and stability of local controller’s tracking error within appropriate upper bound are proved. Finally, a numerical simulation of a stereo imaging scenario is presented to verify the performance of the proposed architecture and the effectiveness of the algorithm.     

航天器运输包装箱仿真验证平台技术研究

针对数量有限的物理跑车试验无法满足减振与保温性能测试需求的问题，提出一套航天器运输包装箱动力学与热学仿真验证方法，包括：建立适用于包装箱系统的刚柔耦合多体动力学系统，通过结合线路条件测试生成的动力学系统外部激励，实现减振性能虚拟跑车测试；建立基于计算流体力学的包装箱热学模型，通过模拟自然对流和空调控制，实现包装箱保温性能虚拟跑车测试；基于C/S架构和导航式流程设计思想，建立航天器运输包装箱仿真验证平台，通过实际案例证明该平台仿真结果与实际跑车测试数据具有较高的一致性。     

Event-triggered attitude control of spacecraft

The problem of spacecraft attitude stabilization control system with limited communication and external disturbances is investigated based on an event-triggered control scheme. In the proposed scheme, information of attitude and control torque only need to be transmitted at some discrete triggered times when a defined measurement error exceeds a state-dependent threshold. The proposed control scheme not only guarantees that spacecraft attitude control errors converge toward a small invariant set containing the origin, but also ensures that there is no accumulation of triggering instants. The performance of the proposed control scheme is demonstrated through numerical simulation.     

Neural adaptive control for a ground experiment of the space proximity operation in a six-degree-of-freedom micro-gravity simulation system

In this study, a neural adaptive controller is developed for a ground experiment with a spacecraft proximity operation. As the water resistance in the experiment is highly nonlinear and can significantly affect the fidelity of the ground experiment, the water resistance must be estimated accurately and compensated using an active force online. For this problem, a novel control algorithm combined with Chebyshev Neural Networks (CNN) and an Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) is proposed. Specifically, the CNN algorithm is used to estimate the water resistance. The advantage of the CNN estimation is that the coefficients of the approximation can be adaptively changed to minimize the estimation error. Combined with the ADRC algorithm, the total disturbance is compensated in the experiment to improve the fidelity. The dynamic model of the spacecraft proximity maneuver in the experiment is established. The ground experiment of the proximity maneuver that considers an obstacle is provided to verify the efficiency of the proposed controller. The results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the pure ADRC method and can achieve close-to-real-time performance for the spacecraft proximity maneuver.     

液体推进剂在轨剩余量测量方法研究进展

介绍了在轨航天器液体推进剂剩余量测量技术国内外研究进展,并展望了未来的研究方向。首先简要介绍了造成微重力条件下液体推进剂剩余量测量困难的原因;接着回顾了液体推进剂剩余量测量技术的发展脉络,将其技术发展分为技术萌芽、技术成熟和新技术探索三个阶段;然后从基本原理、误差分析、研究进展等方面综述了常用的簿记法(Book-Keeping,BK)、压力体积温度法(Pressure-Volume-Temperature,PVT)和热量激励法(Thermal Gauging Method,TGM)等液体推进剂在轨剩余量测量技术,对比分析了各种方法的优缺点;最后,展望了液体推进剂在轨剩余量测量技术的发展方向:一是利用不同测量技术在不同卫星寿命期间具有不同测量精度的特点,将多种测量技术进行结合,以提高整体测量精度;二是开发适用于卫星全寿命周期高精度测量的新方法。     

OSIRIS-REx low-velocity particles during outbound cruise

We analyzed high-angular rate streaks first recorded by OSIRIS-REx’s MapCam during a 2017 search for Earth Trojan asteroids. We interpret them as water-ice particles that translated across the imager’s field of view, originating from the spacecraft itself. Their translation velocities approximated 0.1–1?m/s based on reasonable conclusions about their range. Pursuing several lines of investigation to seek a coherent hypothesis, we conclude that the episodic releases of the water ice particles are associated with spacecraft attitudes that resulted in solar illumination of previously shadowed regions. This correlation suggests that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft itself possesses micro-climatic zones consisting of hot regions and cold traps that may temporarily potentially pass volatiles back and forth before losing most of them.     

夜气辉对天基光学碎片探测的影响分析

设计并完成了夜气辉背景下的天基碎片观测试验，获取了综合谱段的观测数据。基于观测数据进行夜气辉的辐射特性及其对天基碎片探测的影响分析。结果表明，夜气辉辐射随纬度和高度呈现一定的分布特点，这些特点均符合夜气辉的理论分布规律。在约90 km处辐射最强，亮度可达到单位积分时间每平方角秒近15星等，这对恒星及碎片提取概率影响较大，其中，13等星的提取概率仅为40.5%。     

改进FDTD／集总源模型分析航天器场线耦合

针对典型的电磁脉冲对航天器电缆耦合问题，建立了航天器场线耦合分析模型。在场分布计算方面，采用基于平均电参数和分析目标与 Yee网格不重合的边缘部分修正的改进时域有限差分法。在场线耦合方面，建立基于集总等效源模型的多导体传输线瞬态响应模型，将外场在传输线上激励的分布电压源和电流源与传输线指数矩阵解耦，建立了集总等效电压源和电流源模型。采用分析模型分析运载内一根电缆受电磁脉冲影响的响应，结果表明，即使存在屏蔽作用，电磁脉冲在电缆上耦合的干扰足以损毁设备。     

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.