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Decentralized formation flying control in a multiple-team hierarchy.

Joseph B Mueller1, Stephanie J Thomas

  • 1Princeton Satellite Systems, Princeton, NJ 08542, USA. jmueller@psatellite.com

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|March 3, 2006
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a decentralized guidance and control system for satellite formation flying. It enables autonomous, scalable operations for large satellite clusters, reducing costs and enhancing mission flexibility.

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Area of Science:

  • Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC)
  • Autonomous Systems
  • Orbital Mechanics

Background:

  • Formation flying is crucial for scientific and defense missions requiring large-scale satellite geometries.
  • Monolithic spacecraft are being replaced by clusters for robustness, flexibility, and cost benefits.
  • Autonomous, robust, and scalable onboard software is essential for managing large satellite fleets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a prototype decentralized guidance and control system for autonomous satellite formation flying.
  • To enable scalable operations for large satellite clusters with dynamic configurations.
  • To facilitate on-orbit software modification for enhanced mission flexibility and robustness.

Main Methods:

  • A decentralized guidance and control system using a multiple team framework.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Object-oriented implementation with a messaging architecture for networking and threaded applications (MANTA).
  • Decentralized maneuver planning using linear programming and online collision avoidance.

    • Main Results:

    • A prototype system emulating object-oriented and message-passing features of MANTA software.
    • Identification of relative trajectories in eccentric orbits using static geometric parameters.
    • Demonstration of a reconfiguration scenario and online collision avoidance.

    Conclusions:

    • The developed system supports autonomous, scalable operations for large, dynamic satellite clusters.
    • The modular, object-oriented architecture enhances mission flexibility and on-orbit adaptability.
    • Decentralized control and maneuver planning are effective for formation keeping and reconfiguration.