AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-06-13DOI: 10.1007/s42064-024-0231-7
Rui Zhong, Ming Xu
{"title":"Message from the Guest Editors of the Special Issue on Tethered Satellite System","authors":"Rui Zhong, Ming Xu","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0231-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-024-0231-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141406121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-06-10DOI: 10.1007/s42064-024-0225-5
Jinbang Huang, Arun K. Misra
{"title":"Controlled deployment of a long tether to operate as a partial space elevator","authors":"Jinbang Huang, Arun K. Misra","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0225-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-024-0225-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The deployment of a long tether to operate as a partial space elevator, starting from a nucleus in geostationary orbit, is studied. Uncontrolled deployment is an inherently unstable process because the center of orbit gradually decreases from the geostationary altitude when deployment progresses. It is also observed that the elasticity of the tether has an important effect on deployment stability. It is shown that the application of a transverse force on the main spacecraft, determined by using linear state feedback and appropriate gains, can stabilize the deployment. An LQR controller is developed. Simulations of the dynamics of the system are carried out using this controller for various parametric values of tether elasticity, deployment rates, etc., to evaluate the efficacy of the controller.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141363217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-06-06DOI: 10.1007/s42064-024-0203-y
Peng Zhang, Di Wu, Hexi Baoyin
{"title":"Real-time hybrid method for maneuver detection and estimation of non-cooperative space targets","authors":"Peng Zhang, Di Wu, Hexi Baoyin","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0203-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-024-0203-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A novel hybrid scheme for the maneuver detection and estimation of a noncooperative space target was proposed in this study. The optical measurements, together with the range and range rate measurements from the ground-based radars, were used in the tracking scenarios. In many tracking scenarios, radar resources for non-cooperative targets are constrained, particularly for near-earth targets, where multiple objects can only be tracked by a single radar at a time. This limitation hinders the accurate estimation of noncooperative target maneuvers, and can at times result in target loss. Existing literature has addressed this issue to some extent through various maneuvering target-tracking methods. To address this problem, a hybrid maneuver detection and estimation method that combines the input detection and estimation extended kalman filter and the weighted nonlinear least squares method is presented. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the previous method, offering more accurate and efficient estimations.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141377327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-05-24DOI: 10.1007/s42064-023-0192-2
Toshihiro Chujo, Kei Watanabe, Yuki Takao
{"title":"Integrated attitude—orbit control of solar sail with single-axis gimbal mechanism","authors":"Toshihiro Chujo, Kei Watanabe, Yuki Takao","doi":"10.1007/s42064-023-0192-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-023-0192-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A new attitude control method for solar sails is proposed using a single-axis gimbal mechanism and three-axis reaction wheels. The gimbal angle is varied to change the geometrical relationship between the force due to solar radiation pressure (SRP) and the center of mass of the spacecraft, such that the disturbance torque is minimized during attitude maintenance for orbit control. Attitude maneuver and maintenance are performed by the reaction wheels based on the quaternion feedback control method. Even if angular momentum accumulates on the reaction wheels due to modelling error, it can also be unloaded by using the gimbal to produce suitable torque due to SRP. In this study, we analyzed the attitude motion under the reaction wheel control by linearizing the equations of motion around the equilibrium point. Further, we newly derived the propellent-free unloading method based on the analytical formulation. Finally, we constructed the integrated attitude-orbit control method, and its validity was verified in integrated attitude-orbit control simulations.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42064-023-0192-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142413433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-05-13DOI: 10.1007/s42064-023-0194-0
Alessandro A. Quarta, Marco Bassetto, Giovanni Mengali
{"title":"Optimal orbit transfer of single-tether E-sail with inertially fixed spin axis","authors":"Alessandro A. Quarta, Marco Bassetto, Giovanni Mengali","doi":"10.1007/s42064-023-0194-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-023-0194-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study analyzes the optimal transfer trajectory of a spacecraft propelled by a spin-stabilized electric solar wind sail (E-sail) with a single conducting tether and a spin axis with a fixed direction in an inertial (heliocentric) reference frame. The approach proposed in this study is useful for rapidly analyzing the optimal transfer trajectories of the current generation of small spacecraft designed to obtain <i>in-situ</i> evidence of the E-sail propulsion concept. In this context, starting with the recently proposed thrust model for a single-tether E-sail, this study discusses the optimal control law and performance in a typical two-dimensional interplanetary transfer by considering the (binary) state of the onboard electron emitter as the single control parameter. The resulting spacecraft heliocentric trajectory is a succession of Keplerian arcs alternated with propelled arcs, that is, the phases in which the electron emitter is switched on. In particular, numerical simulations demonstrated that a single-tether E-sail with an inertially fixed spin axis can perform a classical mission scenario as a circle-to-circle two-dimensional transfer by suitably varying a single control parameter.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42064-023-0194-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140982711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-05-13DOI: 10.1007/s42064-024-0206-8
Rui Qi, Yang Zhang, Heng Jiang, Rui Zhong
{"title":"Dynamic analysis of tethered defunct satellites with solar panels","authors":"Rui Qi, Yang Zhang, Heng Jiang, Rui Zhong","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0206-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-024-0206-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A precise dynamic model for towing and removing a defunct satellite with solar panels in orbit using a tethered net often has low computational efficiency owing to the complex contact and collision between the net and panels, which is not conducive to research. To solve this problem, a “single main tether–multiple subtether” bifurcation structure with beads was employed as the tethered net model. This study investigated the dynamics of tethered defunct satellites with solar panels, particularly the behavior of the attitude of the tethered satellite, oscillation of the main tether, and vibration of solar panels under different conditions. The results showed that different attachment configurations of the subtethers and the flexibility of the main tether have an evident impact on the dynamic characteristics of the system.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140983110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"State-dependent trust region for successive convex programming for autonomous spacecraft","authors":"Nicolò Bernardini, Nicola Baresi, Roberto Armellin","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0200-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-024-0200-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Spacecraft trajectory optimization is essential for all the different phases of a space mission, from its launch to end-of-life disposal. Due to the increase in the number of satellites and future space missions beyond our planet, increasing the level of autonomy of spacecraft is a key technical challenge. In this context, traditional trajectory optimization methods, like direct and indirect methods are not suited for autonomous or on-board operations due to the lack of guaranteed convergence or the high demand for computational power. Heuristic control laws represent an alternative in terms of computational power and convergence but they usually result in sub-optimal solutions. Successive convex programming (SCVX) enables to extend the application of convex optimization to non-linear optimal control problems. The definition of a good value of the trust region size plays a key role in the convergence of SCVX algorithms, and there is no systematic procedure to define it. This work presents an improved trust region based on the information given by the nonlinearities of the constraints which is unique for each optimization variable. In addition, differential algebra is adopted to automatize the transcription process required for SCVX algorithms. This new technique is first tested on a simple 2D problem as a benchmark of its performance and then applied to solve complex astrodynamics problems while providing a comparison with indirect, direct, and standard SCVX solutions.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42064-024-0200-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142413846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-04-15DOI: 10.1007/s42064-024-0201-0
Danny Owen, Nicola Baresi
{"title":"Applications of knot theory to the detection of heteroclinic connections between quasi-periodic orbits","authors":"Danny Owen, Nicola Baresi","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0201-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-024-0201-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Heteroclinic connections represent unique opportunities for spacecraft to transfer between isoenergetic libration point orbits for zero deterministic Δ<i>V</i> expenditure. However, methods of detecting them can be limited, typically relying on human-in-the-loop or computationally intensive processes. In this paper we present a rapid and fully systematic method of detecting heteroclinic connections between quasi-periodic invariant tori by exploiting topological invariants found in knot theory. The approach is applied to the Earth–Moon, Sun–Earth, and Jupiter–Ganymede circular restricted three-body problems to demonstrate the robustness of this method in detecting heteroclinic connections between various quasi-periodic orbit families in restricted astrodynamical problems.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42064-024-0201-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140703487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-04-11DOI: 10.1007/s42064-023-0195-z
Xinyuan Mao, Wenbing Wang, Yang Gao
{"title":"Precise orbit determination for low Earth orbit satellites using GNSS: Observations, models, and methods","authors":"Xinyuan Mao, Wenbing Wang, Yang Gao","doi":"10.1007/s42064-023-0195-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42064-023-0195-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Spaceborne global navigation satellite system (GNSS) has significantly revolutionized the development of autonomous orbit determination techniques for low Earth orbit satellites for decades. Using a state-of-the-art combination of GNSS observations and satellite dynamics, the absolute orbit determination for a single satellite reached a precision of 1 cm. Relative orbit determination (i.e., precise baseline determination) for the dual satellites reached a precision of 1 mm. This paper reviews the recent advancements in GNSS products, observation processing, satellite gravitational and non-gravitational force modeling, and precise orbit determination methods. These key aspects have increased the precision of the orbit determination to fulfill the requirements of various scientific objectives. Finally, recommendations are made to further investigate multi-GNSS combinations, satellite high-fidelity geometric models, geometric offset calibration, and comprehensive orbit determination strategies for satellite constellations.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140714002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AstrodynamicsPub Date : 2024-03-20DOI: 10.1007/s42064-024-0198-4
Vivek Muralidharan, M. R. Makhdoomi, Augustinas Zinys, Bronislovas Razgus, Marius Klimavicius, M. Olivares-Méndez, Carol Martinez
{"title":"On-ground validation of orbital GNC: Visual navigation assessment in robotic testbed facility","authors":"Vivek Muralidharan, M. R. Makhdoomi, Augustinas Zinys, Bronislovas Razgus, Marius Klimavicius, M. Olivares-Méndez, Carol Martinez","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0198-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-024-0198-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52291,"journal":{"name":"Astrodynamics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140224546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}