Propulsion trade studies for spacecraft swarm mission design
| Autor: | Laura Plice, Joel Mueting, Andres Dono, Tracie Conn, Michael Ho |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
020301 aerospace & aeronautics
Collision avoidance (spacecraft) Spacecraft business.industry Computer science Trade study Swarm behaviour 02 engineering and technology Orbital mechanics Propulsion 01 natural sciences Computer Science::Robotics Orbit 0203 mechanical engineering Computer Science::Systems and Control Physics::Space Physics 0103 physical sciences Satellite CubeSat Aerospace engineering business 010303 astronomy & astrophysics |
| Zdroj: | 2018 IEEE Aerospace Conference. |
| Popis: | Spacecraft swarms constitute a challenge from an orbital mechanics standpoint. Traditional mission design involves the application of methodical processes where predefined maneuvers for an individual spacecraft are planned in advance. This approach does not scale to spacecraft swarms consisting of many satellites orbiting in close proximity; non-deterministic maneuvers cannot be preplanned due to the large number of units and the uncertainties associated with their differential deployment and orbital motion. For autonomous small sat swarms in LEO, we investigate two approaches for controlling the relative motion of a swarm. The first method involves modified miniature phasing maneuvers, where maneuvers are prescribed that cancel the differential ΔV of each CubeSat's deployment vector. The second method relies on artificial potential functions (APFs) to contain the spacecraft within a volumetric boundary and avoid collisions. Performance results and required ΔV budgets are summarized, indicating that each method has advantages and drawbacks for particular applications. The mini phasing maneuvers are more predictable and sustainable. The APF approach provides a more responsive and distributed performance, but at considerable propellant cost. After considering current state of the art CubeSat propulsion systems, we conclude that the first approach is feasible, but the modified APF method of requires too much control authority to be enabled by current propulsion systems. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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