Attitude Guidance and Control for Rapid Deorbit of Space Debris by Aerodynamic Drag

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15020
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 21040:Control and system engineering-related
• Research Institution: Japan Aerospace EXploration Agency
• Principal Investigator: Sasaki Takahiro 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 研究開発部門, 研究開発員 (00835168)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 制御工学 / ロバスト制御 / デブリ除去 / 姿勢制御 / トルク平衡姿勢 / 軌道制御 / 軌道降下誘導則 / 適応誘導則

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research introduces AMTEA, an altitude-dependent mean torque equilibrium attitude (TEA) characterized around an equilibrium (balance) point in attitude dynamics, which is affected by aerodynamic and gravity gradient torques for each altitude. Introducing a new adaptive function, we propose the adaptive TEA guidance technique, which corrects the guidance error from model uncertainty while it learns the actuator inputs during one orbital revolution. As a result, AMTEA avoids wheel spin saturation. Solving the mixed H2/H∞ constraints of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) representation, the robust controller guarantees overall stability and control performance and manages large disturbance torque and model uncertainty using the RWs/MTQs steering law for controlling wheel spin rates and wheel unloading. This new adaptive guidance and the robust controller are demonstrated by comparing the results of numerical simulations.

Free Research Field

制御工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

宇宙デブリの自然増加の抑制に有効である大型デブリ除去は、年間除去目標における費用対効果を考えたとき、小型衛星によって実施される必要がある。小型衛星に搭載可能な非力なアクチュエータシステムで大型デブリを効率的に落とすには、大気抵抗を積極的に利用することが有効である。本研究で確立された誘導制御方式は、500kg級の小型衛星で3000kgの大型宇宙ゴミの除去を可能とするものであり、将来の持続的な宇宙ゴミ除去システムの構築へと役立つ成果であると考える。