Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1716782 Acta Astronautica 2008 16 Pages PDF
Abstract

Upcoming National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission concepts include satellite arrays to facilitate imaging and identification of distant planets. These mission scenarios are diverse, including designs such as the terrestrial planet finder-occulter (TPF-O), where a monolithic telescope is aided by a single occulter spacecraft, and the micro-arcsecond X-ray imaging mission (MAXIM), where as many as 16 spacecraft move together to form a space interferometer. Each design, however, requires precise reconfiguration and star tracking in potentially complex dynamic regimes. This paper explores control methods for satellite imaging array reconfiguration in multi-body systems. Specifically, optimal nonlinear control and geometric control methods are derived and compared to the more traditional linear quadratic regulators, as well as input state feedback linearization. These control strategies are implemented and evaluated for the TPF-O mission concept.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Engineering Aerospace Engineering
Authors
, ,