Optimal Formation Reconfiguration of Multiple Spacecraft with Docking and Undocking Capability

Synchronization of networked Euler–Lagrange systems by sampled-data communication with time-varying transmission delays under directed topology

“…In recent years, extensive efforts have been devoted to the studies on multi-agent systems, since they have wide applications in many fields including rendezvous and docking of spacecrafts [1,2], formation of autonomous underwater vehicles [3], and coordination of sensor networks [4]. Compared with an individual system, multi-agent systems have great advantages of increasing reliability, providing redundancy and reducing cost.…”

Microgravity Demonstrations of Flux Pinning for Station-Keeping and Reconfiguration of CubeSat-Sized Spacecraft

“…However, due to the unpowered passive stability that flux pinning can provide, it also has many potential applications for the assembly and reconfiguration of modular space structures [4] and spacecraft formations [5]. Current approaches to autonomous docking of space vehicles [6,7], as well as spacecraft reconfiguration and formation flying [8][9][10], rely heavily on active controllers. However, a permanent magnet flux-pinned to a superconductor experiences a passive restoring force that attracts it to the position and orientation it held when the superconductor first cooled below its critical temperature.…”

Reconfigurable Spacecraft as Kinematic Mechanisms Based on Flux-Pinning Interactions

“…The reconfiguration of modular or swarm spacecraft is currently studied in this context [6,7]. Traditional approaches view these operations as problems in active control [8], particularly as extensions of rendezvous and docking tasks [7,9]. However, we suggest that spacecraft achieve reconfiguration without detaching from one another, by forming appropriate kinematic mechanisms.…”