Research on angles-only/SINS/CNS relative position and attitude determination algorithm for a tumbling spacecraft

Abstract

In this paper, the relative navigation technique of final approach phase for a tumbling target spacecraft is studied and exploited. It is assumed that the tumbling target is in failure or out of control and there is no good a priori rotation rate information. The Euler’s rotational dynamics is used to propagate the target angular velocity, and the unknown inertia parameter circumstance is also considered. The chaser spacecraft is equipped with three strapdown gyros and accelerometers and a star sensor that determine the absolute motion parameters, and an optical camera that measures relative azimuth and elevation angles to the target spacecraft. On the basis of the rotational and translational motions of both spacecrafts, an angles-only/ strapdown inertial navigation system/celestial navigation system navigation filter is designed. Simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm can accurately estimate the relative position, velocity, and attitude between two spacecrafts and compensate the biases of the gyros and accelerometers.