Rendezvous in Low-Lunar-Orbit from Gateway via low-thrust nonlinear control

This research investigates low-thrust nonlinear control for rendezvous in lunar orbit, in a high-fidelity dynamical model and in the presence of nonnominal conditions. The feedback control law is based on Lyapunov stability theory and is capable of tracking time-varying orbital elements, including the true anomaly. Monte Carlo campaigns are run to assess the performance of the control strategy, with regard to both a controlled and an uncontrolled target vehicle (i.e. subject to free dynamics). Results show that the proposed low-thrust feedback controller is capable of driving the spacecraft to a safe distance from the target vehicle, with minimal residual velocity, without relying on any reference trajectory nor numerical integration, making it suitable for onboard implementation.