This dissertation considers Spacecraft Relative Motion Planning (SRMP), where spacecraft operate in close proximity to obstacles or to each other. SRMP techniques must accommodate non-convex constraints, be robust to disturbances, and be implementable on-board spacecraft with limited computational capabilities. Three novel SRMP techniques are developed, and simulations illustrate implementations of each method.

Firstly, an invariance-based SRMP technique is proposed. Planned maneuvers transition a spacecraft between specified Natural Motion Trajectories (NMTs) while avoiding obstacles and accommodating control constraints. The method is based on a graph search applied to a “virtual net” with nodes corresponding to NMTs, and adjacency rules based on safe positively invariant tubes built around each NMT.

Secondly, a SRMP technique is developed for satellite inspection. An information collection model is developed and used to construct a control law based on the local gradient of the information rate. This control law drives the spacecraft on a path along which the rate of information collection is strictly increasing.

Finally, a SRMP strategy is proposed to generate a formation containing an arbitrary number of vehicles. This strategy is based on an add-on predictive control mechanism, known as a Parameter Governor, which modifies parameters in a nominal closed-loop system to enforce constraints.


Dissertation Committee Names:

Professor Ilya V. Kolmanovsky (co-chair)
Associate Professor Anouck R. Girard (co-chair)
Cognate Member: Professor Aaron J. Ridley
Members: Dr. Christopher D. Petersen, Air Force Research Laboratory and Dr. Frederick A. Leve, Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Journal Publications

Gregory R. Frey, Christopher D. Petersen, Frederick A. Leve, Ilya V. Kolmanovsky, and Anouck R. Girard, “Constrained spacecraft relative motion planning exploiting periodic natural motion trajectories and invariance,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 40, No. 12 (2017), pp. 3100-3115.

Gregory R. Frey, Christopher D. Petersen, Frederick A. Leve, Emanuele Garone, Ilya V. Kolmanovsky, and Anouck R. Girard, “Parameter governors for coordinated control of n-spacecraft formations,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 40, No. 11 (2017), pp. 3020-3025.

Conference Proceedings

Gregory R. Frey, Christopher D. Petersen, Frederick A. Leve, Anouck R. Girard, and Ilya V. Kolmanovsky, “Invariance-based spacecraft relative motion planning incorporating bounded disturbances and minimum thrust constraints,” American Control Conference, 2018, Accepted.

Gregory R. Frey, Christopher D. Petersen, Frederick A. Leve, Ilya V. Kolmanovsky, and Anouck R. Girard, “Incorporating periodic and non-periodic natural motion trajectories into constrained invariance-based spacecraft relative motion planning,” 2017 IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications, IEEE, Kohala Coast, HI, 2017, pp. 1811-1816.

Ran Tian, Hao Chen, Gregory Frey, Bingqing Zu, Anouck Girard, and Ilya Kolmanovsky, “Path planning for information collection in contested environments using marsupial systems,” 2017 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Miami, FL, 2017, pp. 706-715.

Gregory R. Frey, Christopher D. Petersen, Frederick A. Leve, Anouck R. Girard, and Ilya V. Kolmanovsky, “Safe relative motion trajectory planning for satellite inspection,” 27th Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, AIAA/AAS, San Antonio, TX, 2017, AAS Paper 17-411.

Gregory R. Frey, Christopher D. Petersen, Frederick A. Leve, Emanuele Garone, Ilya V. Kolmanovsky, and Anouck R. Girard, “Time shift governor for coordinated control of two spacecraft formations,” 10th IFAC Symposium on Nonlinear Control Systems, IFAC, Monterrey, CA, 2016, pp. 296-301.