Optimal propellantless rendez-vous using differential drag

Optimization of fuel consumption is a key driver in the design of spacecraft maneuvers. For this reason, growing interest in propellant-free maneuvers is observed in the literature. Because it allows us to turn the often-undesired drag perturbation into a control force for relative motion, differential drag is among the most promising propellantless techniques for low-Earth orbiting satellites. An optimal control approach to the problem of orbital rendez-vous using differential drag is proposed in this paper. Thanks to the scheduling of a reference maneuver by means of a direct transcription, the method is flexible in terms of cost function and can easily account for constraints of various nature. Considerations on the practical realization of differential-drag-based maneuvers are also provided. The developments are illustrated by means of high-fidelity simulations including coupled 6-degree-of-freedom simulations and an advanced aerodynamic model.