• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.154-169
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• 2012

This paper presents a comprehensive review of spacecraft guidance algorithms for asteroid intercept and rendezvous missions. Classical proportional navigation (PN) guidance is reviewed first, followed by pulsed PN guidance, augmented PN guidance, predictive feedback guidance, Lambert guidance, and other guidance laws based on orbit perturbation theory. Optimal feedback guidance laws satisfying various terminal constraints are also discussed. Finally, the zero-effort-velocity (ZEV) error, analogous to the well-known zero-effort-miss (ZEM) distance, is introduced, leading to a generalized ZEM/ZEV guidance law. These various feedback guidance laws can be easily applied to real asteroid intercept and rendezvous missions. However, differing mission requirements and spacecraft capabilities will require continued research on terminal-phase guidance laws.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1072-1078
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• 2008

An adaptive control algorithm for spacecraft rendezvous and docking in a Keplerian orbit is presented. The equations of relative motion of two spacecrafts expressed in a local-vertical-local-horizontal rectangular frame are converted to a general Hamiltonian form, then an adaptive control method developed for the uncertain Hamiltonian system is applied to the rendezvous and docking problem. A smooth projection algorithm is applied to keep the parameter estimates inside a singularity-free region, and a numerical example shows that the developed controller successfully deals with the unknown mass of the chaser spacecraft.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.775-783
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• 2017

In this paper, an impulsive rendezvous problem by using minimum energy of spacecraft in different orbits is addressed. In particular, the orbits considered in this paper are the general orbits including the elliptic orbit, while most of the orbits considered in the literature have been restricted within co-planar or circular orbits. The constraints for solving this optimization problem are the Kepler's equation formulated with the universal variable, and the final position and velocity of two spacecraft. Also, the Lagrange coefficients, sometimes called as f and g solution, are used to describe the orbit transfer. The proposed method technique is demonstrated through numerical simulation by considering the minimum energy, and both the minimum energy and the wait time, respectively. Finally, it is also verified by comparing with the Hohmann transfer known as the minimum energy trajectory. Although a closed-form solution cannot be obtained, it shows that the suggested technique can provide a new insight to solve various orbital transfer problems.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.221-228
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• 1998

The effect of air drag was researched when a low-earth orbit spacecraft using power-limited thruster rendezvoused another low-earth orbit spacecraft. The air density was assumed to decrease exponentially. The radius of parking orbit was 6655.935km and that of target orbit was 7321.529km. From the trajectories of active vehicles, the fuelconsumption and the magnitude of thrust acceleration, we could conclude that the effect of air drag had to be considered in fuel optimal rendezvous problem between low-earth orbit spacecrafts. In multiple-revolution rendezvous case, the air drag was more effective.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.59.1-59.1
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• 2021

The Korean spacecraft for the exploration of Apophis will be equipped with an optical navigation camera with a wide-angle lens. The major purpose of the wide-angle camera is to capture imagery during the rendezvous phase in order to determine the spacecraft's position and the pointing direction relative to the asteroid Apophis. Two potential sciences, however, can be achieved by the wide-angle camera: (1) to measure the high-order gravity terms, and (2) to capture possible ejecting small particles. In this presentation, we will discuss instrument specification and operation scenario required to accomplish the given science objectives.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.61.3-62
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• 2015

Remote-sensing observation is one of the observation methods that provide valuable information, such as composition and surface physical conditions of solar system objects. The Hayabusa spacecraft succeeded in the first sample returning from a near-Earth asteroid, (25143) Itokawa. It has established a ground truth technique to connect between ordinary chondrite meteorites and S-type asteroids. One of the scientific observation instruments that Hayabusa carried, Asteroid Multi-band Imaging Camera(AMICA) has seven optical-near infrared filters (ul, b, v, w, x, p, and zs), taking more than 1400 images of Itokawa during the rendezvous phase. The reflectance of planetary body can provide valuable information of the surface properties, such as the optical aspect of asteroid surface at near zero phase angle (i.e. Sun-asteroid-observer's angle is nearly zero), light scattering on the surface, and surface roughness. However, only little information of the phase angle dependences of the reflectance of the asteroid is known so far. In this study, we investigated the phase angle dependences of Itokawa's surface to understand the surface properties in the solar phase angle of $0^{\circ}-40^{\circ}$ using AMICA images. About 700 images at the Hayabusa rendezvous phase were used for this study. In addition, we compared our result with those of several photometry models, Minnaert model, Lommel-Seeliger model, and Hapke model. At this conference, we focus on the AMICA's v-band data to compare with previous ground-based observation researches.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.61-78
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• 2024

This study developed a real-time spacecraft pose estimation algorithm that combined a deep learning model and the least-squares method. Pose estimation in space is crucial for automatic rendezvous docking and inter-spacecraft communication. Owing to the difficulty in training deep learning models in space, we showed that actual experimental results could be predicted through software simulations on the ground. We integrated deep learning with nonlinear least squares (NLS) to predict the pose from a single spacecraft image in real time. We constructed a virtual environment capable of mass-producing synthetic images to train a deep learning model. This study proposed a method for training a deep learning model using pure synthetic images. Further, a visual-based real-time estimation system suitable for use in a flight testbed was constructed. Consequently, it was verified that the hardware experimental results could be predicted from software simulations with the same environment and relative distance. This study showed that a deep learning model trained using only synthetic images can be sufficiently applied to real images. Thus, this study proposed a real-time pose estimation software for automatic docking and demonstrated that the method constructed with only synthetic data was applicable in space.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.770-778
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• 2013

Solar sail propulsion uses solar radiation pressure to propel spacecraft without propellant, and it is useful for deep-space missions and continuos orbit maneuver missions. After a brief introduction of solar sail dynamics, locally optimal trajectories in Sun-centered and Earth-centered orbits are analyzed. Numerical simulations for the optimal trajectories are performed. Trajectory for the rendezvous with Halley comet is generated, and different planet escape methods are compared.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.271-290
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• 2020

The paper describes the analysis of deployment strategies and trajectories design suitable for executing the inspection of an operative spacecraft in orbit through re-usable CubeSats. Similar missions have been though indeed, and one mission recently flew from the International Space Station. However, it is important to underline that the inspection of an operative spacecraft in orbit features some peculiar characteristics which have not been demonstrated by any mission flown to date. The most critical aspects of the CubeSat inspection mission stem from safety issues and technology availability in the following areas: trajectory design and motion control of the inspector relative to the target, communications architecture, deployment and retrieval of the inspector, and observation needs. The objectives of the present study are 1) the identification of requirements applicable to the deployment of a nanosatellite from the mother-craft, which is also the subject of the inspection, and 2) the identification of solutions for the trajectories to be flown along the mission phases. The mission for the in-situ observation of Space Rider is proposed as reference case, but the conclusions are applicable to other targets such as the ISS, and they might also be useful for missions targeted at debris inspection.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 2011

An integrated system composed of guidance, navigation and control (GNC) system for autonomous proximity operations and the docking of two spacecraft was developed. The position maneuvers were determined through the integration of the state-dependent Riccati equation formulated from nonlinear relative motion dynamics and relative navigation using rendezvous laser vision (Lidar) and a vision sensor system. In the vision sensor system, a switch between sensors was made along the approach phase in order to provide continuously effective navigation. As an extension of the rendezvous laser vision system, an automated terminal guidance scheme based on the Clohessy-Wiltshire state transition matrix was used to formulate a "V-bar hopping approach" reference trajectory. A proximity operations strategy was then adapted from the approach strategy used with the automated transfer vehicle. The attitude maneuvers, determined from a linear quadratic Gaussian-type control including quaternion based attitude estimation using star trackers or a vision sensor system, provided precise attitude control and robustness under uncertainties in the moments of inertia and external disturbances. These functions were then integrated into an autonomous GNC system that can perform proximity operations and meet all conditions for successful docking. A six-degree of freedom simulation was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the integrated system.