Initial cooperative alignment control for non-contact annular electromagnetic stabilized spacecraft

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Control Systems Theory
• Robotics

Background:

• Non-contact annular electromagnetically stabilized spacecraft (NCAESS) offer improved attitude control.
• Initial alignment control is a critical challenge during module release in space.
• Traditional methods are limited to small initial angles and velocities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a cooperative alignment control method for NCAESS.
• To address collision avoidance and rapid stabilization during initial alignment.
• To handle challenging release states with large angles and angular velocities.

Main Methods:

• A two-module cooperative alignment control strategy is developed.
• Nonlinear disturbance rejection model predictive control (NDRMPC) algorithm is employed.
• Future state trajectory prediction and planning are integrated for collision avoidance.

Main Results:

• The proposed method effectively handles four release states with large angles and velocities.
• Collision avoidance between modules is successfully demonstrated through simulations.
• Rapid asymptotic convergence and precise predictive control are achieved.

Conclusions:

• The NDRMPC-based method effectively solves the initial alignment control problem for NCAESS.
• The approach ensures safety by guaranteeing collision avoidance.
• The method enhances operational capabilities for spacecraft with challenging release conditions.