This specialization studies spacecraft relative orbits. This is of interest to mission scenarios including rendezvous and docking, inspection circumnavigation trajectories, on orbit assembly, space debris mitigation, or interferometric science applications in space. It assumes the learner has already had a complete course on orbital mechanics of a single spacecraft including solutions to the 2-body problem, solving time of flight problems, and understanding J2-perturbations on a spacecraft, as well as how to develop relative orbit feedback control solutions. The specialization is of interest to researchers who need to learn the fundamentals of deriving relative equations of motion about circular, elliptical or even hyperbolic reference orbits. Both nonlinear and linearized relative orbit descriptions are explored and compared, including curvilinear Cartesian coordinates and orbit element differences. Analytical relative motion solutions are developed to understand fundamental relative motion prototypes. Next, the impact of the J2 perturbation is explored for the relative motion, including how to develop J2-invariant relative orbits. Finally, nonlinear relative motion feedback control laws are developed to actively control the relative motion. The specialization targets learners interested in rendezvous and docking, orbital servicing, or developing relative orbit missions.
Overview
Syllabus
Course 1: Spacecraft Relative Motion Kinematics and Kinetics
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Spacecraft relative motion control has many applications including rendezvous and docking, ... Enroll for free.
Course 2: Spacecraft Relative Motion Control
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Spacecraft relative motion control solutions stabilize the spacecraft relative to another ... Enroll for free.
Course 3: Spacecraft Formation Flying and Control Capstone Project
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. This is the 3rd and final course of the spacecraft relative motion course sequence. This course ... Enroll for free.
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Spacecraft relative motion control has many applications including rendezvous and docking, ... Enroll for free.
Course 2: Spacecraft Relative Motion Control
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Spacecraft relative motion control solutions stabilize the spacecraft relative to another ... Enroll for free.
Course 3: Spacecraft Formation Flying and Control Capstone Project
- Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. This is the 3rd and final course of the spacecraft relative motion course sequence. This course ... Enroll for free.
Courses
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Spacecraft relative motion control has many applications including rendezvous and docking, circumnavigation, on orbit assembly, servicing, etc. The course Spacecraft Relative Motion Kinematics and Kinetics covers the fundamentals of describing the motion of one spacecraft as seen by another spacecraft. A range of relative coordinates are investigated. Further, the course covers developing the differential equations of motion of the relative motion and considers a range of assumptions on separation distances. Finally, the impact of the J2 perturbation on the relative motion is studied. After this course, you will be able to... * Describe relative motion using rectilinear or curvilinear Hill frame coordinates, using relative orbit elements, as well as using differential orbit elements. * Develop the differential equations of relative motion for both near circular and highly elliptical chief motions * Predict the impact of perturbations on the relative motion * Understand how to setup relative orbits that remain bounded to the chief. Please note: this is an advanced course, best suited for working engineers or students with college-level knowledge in mathematics and physics.
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This is the 3rd and final course of the spacecraft relative motion course sequence. This course presents a capstone design challenge where you get to develop, simulate and study how to approach a tumbling debris object. The servicer starts from far away and carefully does a series of maneuver to get closer and closer in a safe manner. As the debris object is tumbling, the servicer will have to account for relative attitude motion as well. The final approach is in a debris body-fixed manner illustrating a case of controlling non-Keplerian motion. After this course, you will be able to... * Design safe approach trajectories * Implement relative motion feedback control solutions * Model the relative motion and relative attitude in the LVLH frame * Implement non-Keplerian reference motion Please note: this is an advanced course, best suited for working engineers or students with college-level knowledge in mathematics and physics.
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Spacecraft relative motion control solutions stabilize the spacecraft relative to another spacecraft. This is useful control the approach prior to docking, to circumnavigate while inspect the target object, or to remain in a bounded vicinity about the target. This course covers the basics of nonlinear control theory to apply Lyapunov's direct method to the relative motion control problem. Feedback control strategies using inertial coordinates, differential orbit elements and Hill frame coordinates are studied. Reference relative motions are considered that are either naturally occurring or require a feed-forward control component. After this course, you will be able to... * Develop nonlinear relative motion control strategies * Discuss the stability guarantees of these control solutions * Numerically simulate the relative motion control solutions * Create reference motions that are natural and don't require control effort when the tracking errors have converged * Study the impact of uncertain dynamics and control errors. Please note: this is an advanced course, best suited for working engineers or students with college-level knowledge in mathematics and physics.
Taught by
Hanspeter Schaub
