A computationally efficient model predictive control scheme for space debris rendezvous

Date

2019-11-25

Supervisor/s

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Elsevier

Department

Type

Article

ISSN

2405-8963

Format

Citation

Larsen AK, Chen Y, Bruschetta M, et al., (2019) A computationally efficient model predictive control scheme for space debris rendezvous. IFAC-PapersOnLine, Volume 52, Issue 12, December 2019, pp.103-110

Abstract

We propose a non-linear model predictive scheme for planning fuel efficient maneuvers of small spacecrafts that shall rendezvous space debris. The paper addresses the specific issues of potential limited on-board computational capabilities and low-thrust actuators in the chasing spacecraft, and solves them by using a novel MatLab-based toolbox for real-time non-linear model predictive control (MPC) called MATMPC. This tool computes the MPC rendezvous maneuvering solution in a numerically efficient way, and this allows to greatly extend the prediction horizon length. This implies that the overall MPC scheme can compute solutions that account for the long time-scales that usually characterize the low-thrust rendezvous maneuvers. The so-developed controller is then tested in a realistic scenario that includes all the near- Earth environmental disturbances. We thus show, through numerical simulations, that this MPC method can successfully be used to perform a fuel-efficient rendezvous maneuver with an uncontrolled object, plus evaluate performance indexes such as mission duration, fuel consumption, and robustness against sensor and process noises.

Description

Software Description

Software Language

Github

Keywords

Non Linear Model Predictive Control, Non-cooperative Rendezvous, Space Debris Removal, Low-Thrust Manoeuvers,, Constrained Optimization Problem, Real-time Control

DOI

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International

Relationships

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