Air drag can be used in very low Earth orbit to reliably generate moderate orbital control action without need of thrusters and therefore at a reduced cost. This effect can be exploited changing the cross section of the spacecraft by means of deployable appendages or rotating the bus around an axis orthogonal to velocity vector. The paper deals with the use of air drag to control the relative position of two satellites belonging to a formation. The focus is on evaluating optimal strategies which take into account and minimize the orbital decay. An approach which makes use of a recent formulation of the Euler Hill equations modified to include the drag is proposed. A semi analytical solution is provided as input to an optimizer based on genetic algorithms. Advantages of this choice are explained, together with indications on the simulations performed.

Spacecraft orbit control using air drag / Palmerini, Giovanni Battista; Sgubini, Silvano. - STAMPA. - 5:(2005), pp. 3112-3119. (Intervento presentato al convegno International Astronautical Federation - 56th International Astronautical Congress 2005 tenutosi a Fukuoka nel 17 October 2005 through 21 October 2005).

Spacecraft orbit control using air drag

PALMERINI, Giovanni Battista;SGUBINI, SILVANO
2005

Abstract

Air drag can be used in very low Earth orbit to reliably generate moderate orbital control action without need of thrusters and therefore at a reduced cost. This effect can be exploited changing the cross section of the spacecraft by means of deployable appendages or rotating the bus around an axis orthogonal to velocity vector. The paper deals with the use of air drag to control the relative position of two satellites belonging to a formation. The focus is on evaluating optimal strategies which take into account and minimize the orbital decay. An approach which makes use of a recent formulation of the Euler Hill equations modified to include the drag is proposed. A semi analytical solution is provided as input to an optimizer based on genetic algorithms. Advantages of this choice are explained, together with indications on the simulations performed.
2005
International Astronautical Federation - 56th International Astronautical Congress 2005
air drag; orbital control; passive control
04 Pubblicazione in atti di convegno::04b Atto di convegno in volume
Spacecraft orbit control using air drag / Palmerini, Giovanni Battista; Sgubini, Silvano. - STAMPA. - 5:(2005), pp. 3112-3119. (Intervento presentato al convegno International Astronautical Federation - 56th International Astronautical Congress 2005 tenutosi a Fukuoka nel 17 October 2005 through 21 October 2005).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/237651
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