Optimal Formation Reconfiguration of Multiple Spacecraft with Docking and Undocking Capability

Simulation of Multibody Spacecraft Reconfiguration through Sequential Dynamic Equilibria

“…denotes the quaternion relating the rotation from the reference coordinates of body B to an inertial coordinate system N, with superscripts analogous to the notation for direction-cosine matrices, . The equation of unconstrained motion in the position states is straightforward: (5) However, in order to account for rigid-body dynamics in 6DOF, Eq. (2) must include not only the force f B on the body center of mass but also terms due to Euler's equation for rigid body motion with a torque on body B about its center of mass,…”

“…Often, proposed solutions to this problem involve a combination of multibody dynamics, multivariable controls, docking hardware and algorithms, state estimation, and the relative orbital dynamics of formation flight, expressed as a tracking problem. 1,2,3,4,5,6 These approaches incorporate interactions between many vehicles, sensors, and actuators, and thus may be both computation-and power-intensive, with many potential points of failure. With the goal of adding robustness, determinacy, and power savings to the reconfiguration process, we have proposed that modular spacecraft designs include the capability to alter their kinematic properties.…”

Sequences of Passively Stable Dynamic Equilibria for Hybrid Control of Reconfigurable Spacecraft

“…Solutions to this problem often involve a combination of multibody dynamics, multivariable controls, docking hardware and algorithms, state estimation, and the relative orbital dynamics of formation flight, expressed as a tracking problem. 1,2,3,4,5,6 These approaches incorporate interactions between many vehicles, sensors, and actuators, and thus may be both computation-and power-intensive with many potential points of failure. We wish to depart from this traditional methodology by focusing on the passive dynamics-and kinematics-governing multibody spacecraft systems.…”

Control of Formations of UAVs for Surveillance and Reconnaissance Missions

“…This will be done by using mixed integer programming (MIP) for the complete generation of the trajectories for all UAVs in opposition to other publications like Schouwenaars [2006] or Richards et al [2005] where normally mixed integer programming is used for receding horizon control where only parts of the trajectories are planned directly. Based on the work in Kopfstedt et al [2007] the algorithms here are designed for formation flights of many UAVs with respect to the work presented by Xia et al [2007]. Therefore in the second section we will present the UAV model, the method to avoid collisions between UAVs and with obstacles.…”