Dual Quaternion Based Close Proximity Operation for In-Orbit Assembly via Model Predictive Control

Chuqi Sun,Zhaowei Sun,Yan Xiao,Dong Ye,Jiafu Liu

doi:10.1155/2021/1305095

Chuqi Sun, Zhaowei Sun + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/1305095

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Abstract

This paper studies the problem of guidance and control for autonomous in-orbit assembly. A six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) motion control for in-orbit assembly close proximity operation between a service satellite and a target satellite is addressed in detail. The dynamics based on dual quaternion are introduced to dispose the coupling effect between translation and rotation in a succinct frame, in which relevant perturbation and disturbance are involved. With the consideration of economical principle for fuel consume, a generic control system based on model predictive control (MPC) is then designed to generate a suboptimal control sequence for rendezvous trajectory considering actuator output saturation. The stability and robustness issues of the MPC-based control system are analyzed and proved. Numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed control scheme, while additional comparisons for diverse horizons of the MPC are further conducted.

Highlights

As the renewal and progress of astronautic science and technology, regular scaled spacecraft could hardly satisfy the increasing demand to explore the universe
The aid of in-orbit assembly, relevant technologies on autonomous rendezvous and docking are crucial to ensure the success of such operations, namely, the guidance and control for proximity operations
In this paper, aiming at on-orbit service technology, we present an autonomous guidance and control strategy for 6-DOF close proximity operation

Summary

Introduction

As the renewal and progress of astronautic science and technology, regular scaled spacecraft could hardly satisfy the increasing demand to explore the universe. Orbit perturbation and other disturbances merit weighty attention which could bring barrier to maneuver accuracy With all these factors taken into consideration, a compact model for controller design is necessary. Popularized in various industrial process and products, in autopilot vehicles [7,8,9,10] Inspired by such motivation, this research attempts to design a MPC for spacecraft proximity operation using a compact model, while considering disturbances and maneuver capability during the inorbit assembly operation. Sun et al designed adaptive robust controllers concerning the coupling effects and model uncertainties based on such nonlinear dynamics [14].

Mathematical Preliminaries

System Kinematics and Dynamics

Model Predictive Controller Design

Simulation

Conclusion