Post-capture detumble trajectory stabilization for robotic active debris removal

Abstract

Recent increase in space debris combined with the increase in the number of satellites launched has created an increased risk of collisions. The effects of the increased risk can be seen in the form of an increased number of near misses in recent years. The use of robotic manipulators has been suggested for Active Debris Removal (ADR) to reduce the risk of potential future collisions that generate more debris in the orbits around Earth. Compared to other ADR methods, robotic manipulators provide increased versatility as they can be reused for On-Orbit Servicing as well as On-Orbit Assembly missions. A robotic ADR operation consists of three phases: Approach, Capture, and Detumble. This paper provides a method for performing feedback-based stabilization of post-capture detumble trajectories of the chaser-debris system. The approach presented here uses Time-Varying Linear Quadratic Regulator (TVLQR) for stabilization along the detumble trajectory. The contributions of this paper are as follows: A quaternion-based linearization method for multibody systems with a free-floating base, TVLQR for stabilizing the optimal detumble trajectory, and a probabilistic Region of Attraction analysis of the resulting closed-loop system. The estimated Region of Attraction could serve as the goal for the capture controller thus allowing for controller composition through ADR phases while guaranteeing stability and successful detumble.