Ballistics, navigation, and motion control for a spacecraft during its landing on the surface of Phobos

Basic concepts and algorithms laid as foundations of the scheme of landing on the Martian moon Phobos (developed for the Phobos-Grunt project) are presented. The conditions ensuring the landing are discussed. Algorithms of onboard navigation and control are described. The equations of spacecraft motion with respect to Phobos are considered, as well as their use for correction of the spacecraft motion. The algorithm of estimation of the spacecraft’s state vector using measurements with a laser altimeter and Doppler meter of velocity and distance is presented. A system for modeling the landing with a firmware complex including a prototype of the onboard computer is described.     

Design of satellite constellations with continuous coverage on elliptic orbits of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Molniya</Emphasis> type

New methods of choosing the structures of satellite constellations (SC) on elliptical orbits of the Molniya type are presented. The methods, using critical inclination and putting the orbit apogee in the Earth’s hemisphere with an area of continuous coverage, are based on geometrical analysis of two-dimensional representation of the coverage conditions and SC motion in the space of inertial longitude of the orbit ascending node and time. The coverage conditions are represented in the form of a certain region. Dynamics of all satellites in this space is represented by uniform motion along a straight line approximately parallel to the ordinate axis, while the satellite system forms a grid. The problem of choosing a minimal (as far as the number of satellites is concerned) SC configuration can be formulated as a search for the most sparse grid. The contemporary advanced methods of computational geometry serve as an algorithmic basis for the problem solution. Design of SC for continuous coverage of latitude belts with the use of kinematically regular systems is considered. A method of analyzing single-track systems for continuous coverage of arbitrary geographic regions is described, which makes a region at any time instant observable by at least one satellite of the system. As an example, SC on elliptical orbits are considered with periods of ～4, 12, and 24 hours.     

月面巡视探测器运动控制方法研究

基于动力学的运动控制是星球探测车研制中的关键技术之一。本文以某多轮驱动、多轮转向的月面巡视探测器运动控制为背景,在建立其三自由度动力学模型的基础上,研究了常规增量式PID和模糊自适应PID控制算法,并进行了仿真比较。典型车轮失效情况下的仿真表明,模糊自适应PID方法能够有效控制月面巡视探测器四轮失效的情况,而常规PID方法能够有效控制探测器三轮失效的情况。模糊自适应PID方法对参数扰动敏感性低,鲁棒性更强,较好地处理了常规控制方法可能产生的小超调与快速性的矛盾。     

Some Methods of Automatic Control of Relative Motion of Objects in Near-Earth Orbits

The methods of automatic control of motion of a free-flight platform near the orbital space station are considered. The satellite-inspector intended for service of the International Space Station is an example of such objects. The algorithms of control of the platform motion along a trajectory specified by the space station operator are developed, and control of the station keeping mode for visual observation of the state of the space station's external surface is considered. The problem of control of a platform landing on a specially equipped docking unit of the orbital space station is also considered.     

An analysis of low-frequency component in microacceleration measurements made onboard the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Foton M-2</Emphasis> satellite

The low-frequency component is investigated in the data of measurements performed onboard the Foton M-2 satellite with the three-component accelerometer TAS-3. Investigations consisted in comparison of this component with its calculated analog found from a reconstruction of the satellite’s attitude motion. The influence of the Earth’s magnetic field on the accelerometer readings is discovered by way of spectral analysis of the functions representing the results of determining the low-frequency microacceleration by two methods. After making correction for this influence, the results obtained by these two methods coincided within a root-mean-square error of less than 10^?6 m/s².     

舵机加载系统的鲁棒力矩渐近跟踪控制

针对舵机加载系统中存在未建模部分、时变、非线性等因素,设计了鲁棒力矩渐近跟踪控制器。分析了系统结构,并建立系统简化模型。为了抑制舵机运动扰动对加载系统的影响,提高系统跟踪性能,将舵机运动作为外干扰进行处理。根据系统输入信号的特点,基于内模原理,分别利用系统的传递函数和状态空间模型设计鲁棒渐近跟踪与干扰抑制控制器。针对期望极点难以选取的问题,利用最优化方法设计系统控制律,并引入期望衰减度调节系统力矩跟踪和扰动抑制性能。仿真结果表明,所设计的控制器能使系统获得较理想的跟踪性能,基于状态空间的最优化方法方便了系统设计。     

Planar inertial motion of an elastic cluster of three bodies

A problem of planar inertial motion of three bodies connected in the form of a triangle by an elastic imponderable filament is considered, as well as a particular case of the problem of motion of a closed chain of n bodies. This configuration can be a basis for extended planar constructions in deep space.The bodies are considered as material points. The paper elaborates a subject of [1]     

Nanosatellite <Emphasis Type="Italic">REFLECTOR</Emphasis>: Choice of parameters of the attitude control system

We consider methodological and applied problems of choosing parameters and developing a passive gravity-gradient attitude control system for the REFLECTOR nanosatellite. The attitude control system consists of appropriately distributed satellite mass and additional masses forming the required tensor of inertia, as well as of a set of hysteresis rods manufactured from a magnetically soft material. The combination of these elements allows one, independent of the satellite’s initial angular motion, to maintain its three-axial orientation in the orbital coordinate system with preset performance in precision and fast response. The satellite’s dynamics is investigated using asymptotic and numerical methods. The problems of arrangement of the additional masses and hysteresis rods are discussed, as well as their interaction with magnetizable elements.     

The use of a movable telescoping end mass system for the time-optimal control of spinning spacecraft

The time-optimal control of a spin-stabilized spacecraft with a movable telescoping appendage (boom), is considered analytically and numerically. The motion of a control mass at the end of the boom is determined such that the terminal time will be minimized for two-axis control of a symmetric spacecraft. The equations of rotational motion are linearized about the desired state of spin about the symmetry axis. The equations for the transverse angular velocity components have the form of a coupled two dimensional harmonic oscillator with boom motion as a control force. The control function which brings the system to the desired state is known to be a series of positive and negative pulses. If the initial state is such that the system can be driven to rest in a single switch, the responses, switching and final times, and required boom motion may be determined analytically. Some typical numerical results based on these solutions are discussed.     

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.     

A study of angular motion of the Chibis-M microsatellite with three-axis flywheel control

We study the controlled angular motion of the Chibis-M microsatellite. Executive elements are three pairs of flywheels, whose axes are mutually perpendicular. The task of the control system is realization of a required program motion and support of its asymptotic stability. In this paper, we synthesize a control algorithm and study the evolution of the angular momentum of flywheels on long time intervals. The attitude accuracy is estimated for the case when disturbances act upon the spacecraft.     

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。     

Reconstruction of spacecraft rotational motion using a Kalman filter

Quasi-static microaccelerations of four satellites of the Foton series (nos. 11, 12, M-2, M-3) were monitored as follows. First, according to measurements of onboard sensors obtained in a certain time interval, spacecraft rotational motion was reconstructed in this interval. Then, along the found motion, microacceleration at a given onboard point was calculated according to the known formula as a function of time. The motion was reconstructed by the least squares method using the solutions to the equations of satellite rotational motion. The time intervals in which these equations make reconstruction possible were from one to five orbital revolutions. This length is increased with the modulus of the satellite angular velocity. To get an idea on microaccelerations and satellite motion during an entire flight, the motion was reconstructed in several tens of such intervals. This paper proposes a method for motion reconstruction suitable for an interval of arbitrary length. The method is based on the Kalman filter. We preliminary describe a new version of the method for reconstructing uncontrolled satellite rotational motion from magnetic measurements using the least squares method, which is essentially used to construct the Kalman filter. The results of comparison of both methods are presented using the data obtained on a flight of the Foton M-3.     

An Analysis of the Low-Frequency Component in Measurements of Angular Velocity and Microacceleration onboard the Foton-12 Satellite

We compare the results of two methods used to determine the angular velocity of the Foton-12 satellite and the low-frequency component of microaccelerations onboard it. The first method is based on reconstruction of the satellite's rotational motion using the data of onboard measurements of the strength of the Earth's magnetic field. The motion (time dependence of the orientation parameters and angular velocity) was found from the condition of best approximation of the measurement data by the functions calculated along the solutions to equations of attitude motion of the satellite. The solutions found were used to calculate the quasistatic component of microaccelerations at certain points of the satellite, in particular, at the point of location of an accelerometer of the QSAM system. Filtration of the low-frequency component of the angular velocity and microacceleration from the data of measurements by a sensor of angular velocity and by the accelerometer of this system served as a second method. The filtration was made using the discrete Fourier series. A spectral analysis of the functions representing the results of determining the angular velocity and microacceleration by both methods is performed. Comparing the frequencies and amplitudes of the harmonic component of these functions allowed us to estimate the accuracy of measurements made by the QSAM system in the low-frequency range.     

高分辨率卫星结构-控制-光学一体化建模与微振动响应分析

文章针对高分辨率遥感卫星的微振动分析,给出了一种结构-控制-光学一体化建模方法:将微振动干扰源模型、整星结构模型、控制系统模型和光学系统模型按照实际的物理联系连接为一个整体,进而预测空间相机在轨微振动的像移响应和干扰源到像移的传递特性。以某遥感卫星为例,将其微振动下的像移响应和传递特性与工程中的其他处理方法的计算结果进行了对比分析。研究结果表明:一体化建模分析方法从原理上更接近卫星在轨实际工作情况,能够给出较为合理的微振动分析结果;其他工程处理方法的分析结果均与一体化建模分析方法有差异,使用时应根据设计和分析的具体目的与条件恰当选择。     

虚拟样机技术在双模制导系统研制中的应用

将虚拟样机技术用于双模制导系统的研制。以Pro／E为三维实体特征建模工具，MSC、ADAMS为运动学和动力学分析工具，Matlab为控制分析软件，对机械系统和控制系统进行联合分析和调试。给出了机械模型、控制模型和两者间的输入输出，以及目标运动模型的建立方法。试验结果表明，所设计的虚拟样机能用于动态校核、参数优化、回归设计和演示验证，并能进行运动分析和干涉检测、跟踪以及交班试验等。     

The use of solutions to problems of spacecraft trajectory optimization in impulse formulation when solving the problems of optimal control of trajectories of a spacecraft with limited thrust engine: I

In this first part of our paper, it is suggested to use solutions to boundary value problems in the optimization problems (in impulse formulation) for spacecraft trajectories in order to obtain the initial approximation, when boundary value problems of the maximum principle are solved numerically by the shooting method. The technique suggested is applied to the problems of optimal control over motion of the center of mass of a spacecraft controlled by the thrust vector of jet engine with limited thrust in an arbitrary gravitational field in a vacuum. The method is based on a modified (in comparison to the classic scheme) shooting method computation together with the method of continuation along a parameter (maximum reactive acceleration, initial thrust-to-weight ratio, or any other parameter equivalent to them). This technique allows one to obtain the initial approximation with a high precision, and it is applicable to a wide range of optimal control problems solved using the maximum principle, if the impulse formulation makes sense for these problems.     

考虑在轨运动可靠性的空间机械臂关节力矩优化方法

提出一种考虑在轨运动可靠性的冗余度空间机械臂关节力矩优化方法。首先将机械臂操作空间中点到点的转移任务从笛卡尔空间转换至关节空间,利用七次多项式插值法对各关节变量进行参数化处理,获得粒子群算法的优化控制参数;与传统路径规划方法不同,将机械臂各关节力矩的均值和最小作为粒子群算法优化求解的目标函数;依据该目标函数以及相应优化控制参数,利用粒子群算法对空间机械臂运行轨迹进行优化求解,得到机械臂关节力矩均值和最小的运行路径。仿真实验表明,相比传统路径规划方法及以关节力矩二范数为目标函数的关节力矩优化方法,在降低冗余度空间机械臂关节力矩均值方面,文中方法分别减小了33.57%和10.47%;在降低关节力矩最大值方面,分别减小了43.25%和6.19%。     

Analysis of the dynamics of the deployed aerodynamic space tether system

An analysis of the motion of a deployed space system that consists of two end bodies connected by a tether has been considered. One of the bodies has a relatively large ballistic coefficient that ensures aerodynamic braking or the stabilization of the motion of the entire system in relatively low near-Earth orbits. The deployment of this system mainly occurs due to the action of aerodynamic forces. Several ways of deploying the system have been analyzed, including (1) the uncontrolled release of the tether with hardly any braking; (2) deployment with constant braking force; (3) the dynamic control law without feedback, when the resistance force varies according to a set program; (4) a kinematic control law with feedback when programs are set for varying the velocity and length of the tether release. To analyze the dynamics of the system, a mathematical model of motion has been constructed in which the motion of the end bodies relative to their centers of mass is taken into account.     

Dynamics and control of variable-geometry truss structures

Variable-geometry truss structures are likely to be used extensively in the future for in-orbit space construction. This paper considers dynamics formulation and vibration control of such structures. The truss system is modelled as a collection of sub-structures consisting of truss booms, prismatic actuator elements, and in some cases a manipulator at the end. Each truss boom is treated as a separate ‘link’ and its flexibility is modelled using the finite element method. Equations of motion for individual sub-structures are obtained which are then assembled. The non-working constraint forces are eliminated to obtain the equations governing the constrained dynamics of the entire system. For vibration control, the singular perturbation method is employed to construct two reduced-order models, for quasi-static motion and for modal co-ordinates, respectively. Computed torque with PD control is applied to maintain the quasi-static motion, while an optimal LQR method is used for vibration control. Typical simulation results are presented for the planar case.