Spacecraft formation flying reconfiguration with extended and impulsive maneuvers

This paper presents the control solutions to the spacecraft formation reconfiguration problem when impulsive or extended maneuvers are considered, and the reference orbit is circular. The proposed approach for the derivation of the control solutions is based on the inversion of the linearized equations of relative motion parameterized using the mean relative orbit elements. The use of mean relative orbit elements eases the inclusion of perturbing accelerations, such as the Earth's oblateness effects, and offers an immediate insight into the relative motion geometry. Several maneuvering schemes of practical operational relevance are considered and the performance of the derived impulsive and piecewise continuous control solutions are investigated through the numerical propagation of the nonlinear relative dynamics. Finally, the benefits of the new extended maneuvers strategies are assessed through a comparison with the corresponding impulsive one.