Efficient on board storage and retrieval of fast maneuver profiles for space applications

Abstract

Attitude guidance is a concept for implementing performance enhancing rotational maneuvers that uses a conventional closed-loop attitude control system to track an optimized maneuver trajectory. Minimum-time attitude guidance is presently being used for executing fast occultation avoidance maneuvers on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). A challenge in operationalizing the idea is related to the limited size of the spacecraft’s command buffer, which was not designed with maneuver tracking in mind. In this paper, we propose an interpolating pre-filter built on B-splines that can be used on board to process downsampled maneuver commands (to save buffer space) and provide attitude control inputs at the servo-rate. The approach is validated using a high-fidelity simulation of the LRO developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.