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: 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.     

Quaternion regularization and trajectory motion control in celestial mechanics and astrodynamics: II

Problems of regularization in celestial mechanics and astrodynamics are considered, and basic regular quaternion models for celestial mechanics and astrodynamics are presented. It is shown that the effectiveness of analytical studies and numerical solutions to boundary value problems of controlling the trajectory motion of spacecraft can be improved by using quaternion models of astrodynamics. In this second part of the paper, specific singularity-type features (division by zero) are considered. They result from using classical equations in angular variables (particularly in Euler variables) in celestial mechanics and astrodynamics and can be eliminated by using Euler (Rodrigues-Hamilton) parameters and Hamilton quaternions. Basic regular (in the above sense) quaternion models of celestial mechanics and astrodynamics are considered; these include equations of trajectory motion written in nonholonomic, orbital, and ideal moving trihedrals whose rotational motions are described by Euler parameters and quaternions of turn; and quaternion equations of instantaneous orbit orientation of a celestial body (spacecraft). New quaternion regular equations are derived for the perturbed three-dimensional two-body problem (spacecraft trajectory motion). These equations are constructed using ideal rectangular Hansen coordinates and quaternion variables, and they have additional advantages over those known for regular Kustaanheimo-Stiefel equations.     

相邻两航天器相对运动近似方程的解析解及比动能方程

在地心引力场中,当目标航天器沿近圆轨道作无动力运动时,与目标航天器相邻的受控航天器相对于目标航天器的运动可以近似地用Hill方程描述。文章给出了受控航天器对目标航天器运动的推力加速度随时间线性变化时Hill方程的解析解。并根据Hill方程导出了受控航天器相对目标航天器运动的比动能方程。还讨论了比动能方程在上述两航天器轨道相遇和轨道交会问题中的应用。     

一类椭圆轨道交会中的动力学方程研究

研究了一类追踪器和目标器轨道半长轴相差不大、轨道面外的距离相差不大的小偏心率椭圆交会的动力学问题.首先选择合适的圆轨道上的点建立参考系,推导出针对圆轨道参考系的无量纲化线性定常方程,并获得相应的相对状态;接着讨论该方程在小偏心椭圆轨道两冲量交会中的应用;最后进行数值仿真,验证动力学方程和制导策略,并与CW方程及制导策略的相关仿真进行比较.仿真结果表明本文给出的动力学方程的精度优于CW方程,能有效解决这类椭圆交会问题.     

Quaternion regularization in celestial mechanics and astrodynamics and trajectory motion control. I

Regularization problems in celestial mechanics and astrodynamics are considered. The fundamental regular quaternion models of celestial mechanics and astrodynamics are presented. It is shown that the efficiency of analytical investigation and numerical solution of boundary problems of optimal trajectory motion control of spacecraft may be increased using quaternion astrodynamics models. The regularization problem of celestial mechanics and astrodynamics that implies eliminating the feature, which arises in the equations of the two-body problem in case of impact of the second body with the central body, is considered in the first section of the paper. The quaternion method for regularizing the equations of the perturbed spatial two-body problem suggested by the author is presented; the method is compared with Kustaanheimo-Stiefel (KS) regularization. Demonstrative geometric and kinematic interpretations of regularizing transformations are provided. Regular quaternion equations for the two-body problem, which generalize the regular Kustaanheimo-Stiefel equations, as well as regular equations in quaternion osculating elements and quaternion regular equations for perturbed central motion of a material point, are considered. The papers on quaternion regularization in celestial mechanics and astrodynamics are briefly analyzed.     

极坐标系连续常值推力机动分析

连续常值推力是空间飞行常用的轨道机动方式，在空间交会与星际航行使命中具有重要的应用价值。其中，小推力适合于地球轨道航天器交会机动，而切向或周向推力以及较大的正径向推力可用于脱离地球引力场的逃逸飞行，执行星际交会使命。应用常推力作用下的极坐标系质心运动方程，对机动推力的量值没有限制；在航天器交会应用中，对相对距离也无要求。这种方法可直接获得向径与速度等轨道参数随时间或极角（绕地心的转动角）的变化，便于分析轨道转移与逃逸运动，有助于飞行使命与运动轨迹的设计。特别是，若机动转移的初轨为圆轨道，在推力较小、飞行时间不长的情况下，应用无量纲形式运动方程，可获得具有工程应用价值的近似解。文章给出一些有关的结果与应用案例。     

航天员舱外相对航天器运动轨迹摄动研究

用轨道根数描述载人航天器运动,在其轨道坐标系(LVLH)中,建立了含地球J2项引力和大气阻力摄动加速度的航天员质心相对航天器的运动模型。在参考轨道存在小偏心率时,对基于圆参考轨道假设推导的航天器编队飞行的线性时变系统状态矩阵进行了修正。仿真结果表明:对偏心率为0.002的航天器轨道,修正后模型所得航天员相对轨迹摄动量在离舱300 s后达到0.8%,是修正前模型的5倍,但计算量增加不超过5%,更适于航天员舱外飞行和近距离编队飞行建模。     

Modes of uncontrolled rotational motion of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Progress M-29M</Emphasis> spacecraft

We have reconstructed the uncontrolled rotational motion of the Progress M-29M transport cargo spacecraft in the single-axis solar orientation mode (the so-called sunward spin) and in the mode of the gravitational orientation of a rotating satellite. The modes were implemented on April 3–7, 2016 as a part of preparation for experiments with the DAKON convection sensor onboard the Progress spacecraft. The reconstruction was performed by integral statistical techniques using the measurements of the spacecraft’s angular velocity and electric current from its solar arrays. The measurement data obtained in a certain time interval have been jointly processed using the least-squares method by integrating the equations of the spacecraft’s motion relative to the center of mass. As a result of processing, the initial conditions of motion and parameters of the mathematical model have been estimated. The motion in the sunward spin mode is the rotation of the spacecraft with an angular velocity of 2.2 deg/s about the normal to the plane of solar arrays; the normal is oriented toward the Sun or forms a small angle with this direction. The duration of the mode is several orbit passes. The reconstruction has been performed over time intervals of up to 1 h. As a result, the actual rotational motion of the spacecraft relative to the Earth–Sun direction was obtained. In the gravitational orientation mode, the spacecraft was rotated about its longitudinal axis with an angular velocity of 0.1–0.2 deg/s; the longitudinal axis executed small oscillated relative to the local vertical. The reconstruction of motion relative to the orbital coordinate system was performed in time intervals of up to 7 h using only the angularvelocity measurements. The measurements of the electric current from solar arrays were used for verification.     

On plane oscillations of a pendulum with variable length suspended on the surface of a planet’s satellite

The problem of planar oscillations of a pendulum with variable length suspended on the Moon’s surface is considered. It is assumed that the Earth and Moon (or, in the general case, a planet and its satellite, or an asteroid and a spacecraft) revolve around the common center of mass in unperturbed elliptical Keplerian orbits. We discuss how the change in length of a pendulum can be used to compensate its oscillations. We wrote equations of motion, indicated a rule for the change in length of a pendulum, at which it has equilibrium positions relative to the coordinate system rotating together with the Moon and Earth. We study the necessary conditions for the stability of these motions. Chaotic dynamics of the pendulum is studied numerically and analytically.     

Experimental investigation of the modes of operation of uncontrolled attitude motion of the Progress spacecraft

Results of in-flight tests of three modes of uncontrolled attitude motion of the Progress spacecraft are described. These proposed modes of experiments related to microgravity are as follows: (1) triaxial gravitational orientation, (2) gravitational orientation of the rotating satellite, and (3) spin-up in the plane of the orbit around the axis of the maximum moment of inertia. The tests were carried out from May 24 to June 1, 2004 onboard the spacecraft Progress M1-11. The actual motion of this spacecraft with respect to its center of mass, in the above-mentioned modes, was determined by telemetric information about an electric current tapped off from solar batteries. The values of the current obtained during a time interval of several hours were processed jointly using the least squares method by integration of the equations of the spacecraft’s attitude motion. The processing resulted in estimation of the initial conditions of motion and of the parameters of mathematical models used. For the obtained motions the quasi-static component of microaccelerations was computed at a point onboard, where installation of experimental equipment is possible.     

椭圆轨道交会、悬停与绕飞的全状态反馈控制

面向大椭圆轨道航天器交会对接、编队伴飞以及在轨操控等空间应用的需求,对大椭圆轨道上航天器间的相对运动进行了分析与建模,采用幂级数法分别在脉冲推力和常值推力作用两种情况下对系统进行了近似求解。通过对系统解的变换以及对系统状态的重构,给出了大椭圆轨道上的三种交会制导律。脉冲推力作用假设下的脉冲制导类似近圆轨道的Hill制导方法。常值推力作用假设下的全状态反馈制导律则在交会制导、相对悬停和循迹绕飞控制的过程中实现了对相对位置和相对速度的同步控制。通过构造新的系统状态,改进的变系数全状态反馈制导律提高了相对速度的制导精度,降低了相对制导过程中的最大轨控加速度。三种制导律的制导效果通过数学仿真进行了校验和比较,文中给出的方法实现了椭圆轨道上相对交会制导、悬停保持和循迹绕飞控制。     

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.     

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.     

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。     

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.     

一种基于EPSO的航天器交会轨迹优化方法

研究了航天器在固定时间内燃料最省的多脉冲交会问题,提出了一种基于种群熵粒子群优化 (Population Entropy based Particle Swarm Optimization,EPSO)算法的交会轨迹优化设计方法。采用线性化C\|W方程描述航天器的相对运动,以能耗最优为控制目标,得到了基于连续推力的最优转移轨迹,用于确定脉冲点的位置。考虑工程实用性,采用多脉冲控制方法,利用脉冲点的位置参数建立了以脉冲点时间间隔为决策变量的优化目标函数,并用EPSO算法进行求解。在EPSO中,种群熵描述粒子在搜索空间中位置分布的混乱程度,并通过上一代的种群熵确定下一代的搜索空间,从而减少搜索空间的浪费,提高了算法的搜索速度和收敛精度。仿真结果表明,算法本身具有良好的优化性能,适用于航天器轨迹优化。     

共面快速受控绕飞轨迹设计与控制

绕飞运动在航天器在轨服务与在轨支援、辅助航天员舱外活动、航天器编队飞行、空间交会对接等空间活动中具有重要应用。分析了快速受控绕飞的可行性和主要过程，建立了适用于目标航天器运行在圆轨道上的共面快速绕飞和进入绕飞与退出绕飞的轨迹设计模型，采用多速度脉冲控制方法和等角度，等时间控制方式对绕飞轨迹进行控制。仿真计算结果表明所提出的快速受控绕飞轨迹设计模型和控制方法可以实现对圆轨道目标航天器的共面快速受控绕飞。     

Revisiting the general periodic relative motion in elliptic reference orbits

A general periodicity condition is presented by analyzing the relative motion between two spacecraft performing formation flight in Keplerian elliptic orbits. The Tschauner–Hempel equation is used to describe the relative motion, and the general periodicity condition is derived through a state transition matrix with a true anomaly as a free variable. The general periodicity condition is also derived by using the energy matching condition, and the resulting periodic conditions by two approaches are compared to each other. Moreover, the zero offset condition is presented to locate the leader spacecraft at the center of the formation geometry. Then, the periodic relative motion in the elliptic reference orbit is expressed using the periodicity condition and the zero offset condition. Numerical simulations demonstrate the periodic relative motion in the elliptic reference orbit, and the results show that the general periodicity condition guarantees the bounded periodic relative motion in arbitrary elliptic orbits, and the zero offset condition makes the formation center coincide with the leader spacecraft.     

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。