Related papers: Successive Convexification for Passively-Safe Spac…
A robust drift-safe rendezvous trajectory optimization tool is developed in this work, with applications to orbital rendezvous and proximity operations. The method is based on direct collocation and utilizes a sequential convex programming…
In this paper we present a fast method based on successive convexification for generating fuel-optimized spacecraft rendezvous trajectories in the presence of mixed-integer constraints. A recently developed paradigm of state-triggered…
We present an algorithm to perform fuel-optimal stationkeeping for spacecraft in unstable halo orbits with additional constraints to ensure safety in the event of a control failure. We formulate a convex trajectory-optimization problem to…
We develop a model predictive control (MPC) policy for station keeping on a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). The proposed policy achieves full-state tracking of a reference NRHO via a multiple-maneuver control horizon, each spaced one…
Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHOs), a subclass of halo orbits around the L1 and L2 Lagrange points, are promising candidates for future lunar gateways in cis-lunar space and as staging orbits for lunar missions. Closed-loop control is…
This paper presents a convex approach to the optimization of a cooperative rendezvous, that is, the problem of two distant spacecraft that simultaneously operate to get closer. Convex programming guarantees convergence towards the optimal…
The Gateway will represent a primary space system useful for the Artemis program, Earth-Moon transportation, and deep space exploration. It is expected to serve as a staging location on the way to the lunar surface. This study focuses on…
This article develops an optical navigation (OPNAV) and station-keeping pipeline for the near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) in high-fidelity ephemeris model dynamics, using synthetic images of the Moon in a non-iterative horizon-based OPNAV…
A fundamental maneuver in autonomous space operations is known as rendezvous, where a spacecraft navigates to and approaches another spacecraft. In this case study, we present linear and nonlinear benchmark models of an active chaser…
Recent investments in cislunar applications open new frontiers for space missions within highly nonlinear dynamical regimes. In this paper, we propose a method based on Sequential Convex Programming (SCP) to loiter around a given target…
In this paper, the trajectory planning problem for autonomous rendezvous and docking between a controlled spacecraft and a tumbling target is addressed. The use of a variable planning horizon is proposed in order to construct an appropriate…
Successive convex programming (SCP) is a powerful class of direct optimization methods, known for its polynomial complexity and computational efficiency, making it particularly suitable for autonomous applications. Direct methods are also…
Conjunction analysis and maneuver planning for spacecraft collision avoidance remains a manual and time-consuming process, typically involving repeated forward simulations of hand-designed maneuvers. With the growing density of satellites…
Spacecraft equipped with multiple propulsion modes or systems can offer enhanced performance and mission flexibility compared with traditional configurations. Despite these benefits, the trajectory optimization of spacecraft utilizing such…
Missions to rendezvous with or capture an asteroid present significant interest both from a geophysical and safety point of view. They are key to the understanding of our solar system are as well stepping stones for interplanetary human…
This paper presents a computationally efficient optimization algorithm for solving nonconvex optimal control problems that involve discrete logic constraints. Traditional solution methods for these constraints require binary variables and…
Near-rectilinear halo orbits (NRHOs) around Earth-Moon L2 in the Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem (CR3BP) exhibit a complex dynamical landscape, featuring a band of normally elliptic orbits embedded within regions of strong instability.…
This work presents a robust Model Predictive Controller (MPC) to solve the problem of spacecraft rendezvous in the context of the restricted three-body problem (R3BP) as will be required to dock with space stations in cislunar space. The…
This paper proposes a nonlinear guidance algorithm for fuel-optimal impulsive trajectories for rendezvous operations close to a reference orbit. The approach involves overparameterized monomial coordinates and a high-order approximation of…
We present successive convexification, a real-time-capable solution method for nonconvex trajectory optimization, with continuous-time constraint satisfaction and guaranteed convergence, that only requires first-order information. The…