Sliding mode control for low-thrust Earth-orbiting spacecraft formation maneuvering

This paper considers the control of entire-formation maneuvering in low-thrust Earth-orbiting spacecraft formation flying (SFF). A coordinated control scheme based on the leader-follower approach is developed to achieve formation maneuvers while keeping the internal formation intact. To implement the control scheme, a low-level sliding mode control (SMC) based on nonlinear dynamics is provided. Using a Lyapunov-based control design and stability analysis technique, we prove that the closed-loop system is globally asymptotically stable. Numerical simulations show the advantage of the controller for fuel cost reductions, tracking accuracy, and effectiveness in ensuring entire-formation maneuvering. An exact nonlinear model with modeled disturbances (J2 disturbance and bounded uncertainties) is used for dynamic simulation.