Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1718992 | Aerospace Science and Technology | 2006 | 8 Pages |
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.