Closed-Loop Relative Orbit Navigation and Control of an Inner Formation Satellite

Abstract

This article studies the relative orbit navigation and control, as well as their combination, of a closed-loop simulation system for an inner formation satellite. To achieve high-precision relative orbit navigation between the inner and outer satellite, a multi-camera-based method is introduced, and its feasibility and accuracy are analyzed through observability theory and simulation verification. Aimed to reduce the energy consumption of the on-orbit formation configuration keeping, an optimal sliding mode controller is designed, which combines the optimization idea of linear quadratic form and the high robustness of sliding mode control. In order to comprehensively analyze the performance of navigation and control and simulate the actual in orbit working conditions more realistically, the two sections are combined into a closed-loop working process; the input of the controller comes from the measurement values obtained by the navigation section, rather than theoretical values derived recursively from dynamic relationships. The simulation results demonstrate that the control law can achieve high-precision control of both internal and external satellites, and the combination of the two has good performance when working as a closed-loop system.