Related papers: Fuel-Optimal Rendezvous in a Central Force Field w…
This paper studies the integrated spacecraft routing and trajectory optimization problem for satellite servicing missions involving partial en-route propellant replenishment. Unlike terrestrial routing problems, spacecraft operate in a…
Platooning is a way to significantly reduce fuel consumption of trucks. Vehicles that drive at close inter-vehicle distance assisted by automatic controllers experience substantially lower air-drag. In this paper, we deal with the problem…
In this work, we achieve propellantless control of both cross-track and along-track separation of a satellite formation by manipulating atmospheric drag. Increasing the differential drag of one satellite with respect to another directly…
The problem of a general, symmetric contact, between elastically similar bodies, and capable of idealisation using half-plane theory, is studied in the presence of interfacial friction. It is subject to a constant set of loads - normal…
Satellite dynamics in unknown environments are inherently uncertain due to factors such as varying gravitational fields, atmospheric drag, and unpredictable interactions with space debris or other celestial bodies. Traditional sliding mode…
Satellite rendezvous and docking (RvD) maneuvers are essential for satellite servicing and in-orbit assembly. Traditional approaches often treat translational and rotational motions independently, simplifying control design but potentially…
In this paper we consider satellite trajectories in central force field with quadratic drag using two formalisms. The first using polar coordinates in which the angular momentum plays a dominant role. The second is in Levi-Civita…
The use of electric low-thrust propulsion systems for orbit maneuvers is becoming a popular choice among satellite manufacturers due to their inherent merits over their chemical counterparts. Many designers choose to incorporate multiple of…
This paper introduces an algorithm to perform optimal reorientation of a spacecraft during a high speed flyby mission that maximizes the time a certain target is kept within the field of view of scientific instruments. The method directly…
Magnetic reconnection is an energy conversion process important in many astrophysical contexts including the Earth's magnetosphere, where the process can be investigated in-situ. Here we present the first encounter of a reconnection site by…
We study the optimal control of an arbitrarily large constellation of small satellites operating in low Earth orbit. Simulating the lack of on-board propulsion, we limit our actuation to the use of differential drag maneuvers to make…
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…
Processes driven by unsteady reconnection can efficiently accelerate particles in many astrophysical plasmas. An example are the reconnection jet fronts in an outflow region. We present evidence of suprathermal ion acceleration between two…
An interstellar Bussard ramjet is a spaceship using the protons of the interstellar medium in a fusion engine to produce thrust. In recent papers, it was shown that the relativistic equation of motion of an ideal ramjet and of a ramjet with…
This paper studies formation control of an arbitrary number of spacecraft based on a serial network structure. The leader controls its absolute position and absolute attitude with respect to an inertial frame, and the followers control its…
A methodology is presented for the differential drag control of a large fleet of propulsion-less satellites deployed in the same orbit. The controller places satellites into a constellation with specified angular offsets and zero-relative…
This paper presents the design of a state-feedback control law for spacecraft rendezvous, formulated using the Hill-Clohessy-Wiltshire equations. The proposed method introduces an impulsive control strategy to regulate thruster operations.…
The classical fuel-optimal two-impulse rendezvous problem between Keplerian orbits is revisited from a family-based perspective. Conventional approaches often yield isolated optimal solutions whose mutual relationships remain unclear; yet,…
This paper addresses the spacecraft relative orbit reconfiguration problem of minimizing the delta-v cost of impulsive control actions while achieving a desired state in fixed time. The problem is posed in relative orbit element (ROE)…
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a promising technology for last-mile cargo delivery. However, the limited on-board battery capacity, cellular unreliability, and frequent handoffs in the airspace are the main obstacles to unleash its full…