Aerospace

Research

16 pages, 1972 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applied Trajectory Design for CubeSat Close-Proximity Operations around Asteroids: The Milani Case

by Claudio Bottiglieri, Felice Piccolo, Carmine Giordano, Fabio Ferrari and Francesco Topputo

Aerospace 2023, 10(5), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10050464 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1408

In this paper, a practical approach to trajectory design for asteroid exploration missions with CubeSats is presented. When applied trajectories are sought, operative concerns and uncertainties affecting the spacecraft dynamics must be considered during the preliminary design process. Otherwise, trajectories that are possible [...] Read more.

In this paper, a practical approach to trajectory design for asteroid exploration missions with CubeSats is presented. When applied trajectories are sought, operative concerns and uncertainties affecting the spacecraft dynamics must be considered during the preliminary design process. Otherwise, trajectories that are possible on paper might become infeasible when real-world constraints are considered. The risk of such eventualities leads to the need to extend the trajectory design to focus on the uncertainties affecting the dynamics and on the operative constraints derived by ground operations. This is especially true when targeting highly perturbed environments such as small bodies with low-cost solutions such as CubeSats, whose capabilities in deep space are still unknown. The case study presented is the Milani CubeSat, which will be launched in 2024 with Hera in the frame of the AIDA mission. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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17 pages, 1615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Feasibility Analysis of Autonomous Orbit Determination and Gravity-Field Recovery around Asteroids Using Inter-Satellite Range Data

by Haohan Li and Xiyun Hou

Aerospace 2023, 10(3), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10030304 - 19 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1243

Abstract

Autonomous navigation and orbit determination are key problems of asteroid exploration missions. Inter-satellite range link is a type of measurement widely used in the orbit determination of Earth satellites, but not so widely used in missions around small bodies. In our study, we [...] Read more.

Autonomous navigation and orbit determination are key problems of asteroid exploration missions. Inter-satellite range link is a type of measurement widely used in the orbit determination of Earth satellites, but not so widely used in missions around small bodies. In our study, we assume that highly accurate inter-satellite range data can be obtained around small bodies between the chief spacecraft and some low-cost deputies, and study the feasibility of simultaneous autonomous orbit determination of the spacecraft and the gravity-field recovery without the support from ground stations. After the feasibility analysis, two modified methods are proposed. Both methods demonstrate obvious improvements in both the convergence region and the accuracy. One remark is that the inter-satellite range data can be also used together with various observation data from ground stations to enhance the accuracy of the determined orbits and the gravity field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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14 pages, 14194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Early Stage of Planet Formation: Design and Demonstration of the Space Experimental Apparatus

by Chenyang Huang, Yang Yu, Zhijun Song, Bin Cheng and Wenyue Dai

Aerospace 2023, 10(3), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10030285 - 13 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1312

Abstract

Planet formation begins with the collision and growth of dust in protoplanetary disks. Concerning the basic cognition of the early stage of planet formation, a long-standing weakness of the research is a comprehensive physical model describing the collisional evolution of dust particles. Microgravity [...] Read more.

Planet formation begins with the collision and growth of dust in protoplanetary disks. Concerning the basic cognition of the early stage of planet formation, a long-standing weakness of the research is a comprehensive physical model describing the collisional evolution of dust particles. Microgravity experiments providing original data are crucial in developing related theories. In this work, we propose an experimental scheme for observing the collisional growth of dust analogues under a unidirectional and continuous shearing process, aiming at a future implementation in space experiments. The experimental process is simulated using the discrete element method, and the atlas of the design parameter versus the evolutionary path is depicted. We notice fractal structures and growth stalling as remarkable outcomes in the process of collisional growth, which is analogous to the evolutionary mechanism in the ancient protoplanetary disks. Based on these phenomena, we determine the sensitive design parameters, i.e., the shear velocity and the filling factor, which serve as the recommended parameters in future space experiments. The validation using numerical experiments shows that the experimental scheme with proper design parameters is feasible, which promises to generate constructive data that will facilitate the development of planet formation theory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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19 pages, 7137 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aerocapture Optimization Method with Lift–Drag Joint Modulation Suitable for Variable Structure Spacecraft

by Yongyuan Li, Guang Sun and Hongwei Han

Aerospace 2023, 10(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10010024 - 26 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1461

Abstract

Aerocapture, the action of delivering a vehicle from a hyperbolic orbit to a planetary orbit by using the aerodynamic force, could potentially lower fuel consumption. By controlling the direction and size of the aerodynamic force, the vehicle can accurately enter the target orbit. [...] Read more.

Aerocapture, the action of delivering a vehicle from a hyperbolic orbit to a planetary orbit by using the aerodynamic force, could potentially lower fuel consumption. By controlling the direction and size of the aerodynamic force, the vehicle can accurately enter the target orbit. This paper focuses on a preliminary study of the optimal trajectory for aerocapture on the basis of a novel flight control option, which considers lift and drag joint modulation so as to suit variable structure spacecraft. In the preliminary evaluation of such a flight control option, the aerocapture corridors under lift modulation and drag modulation and the influence of the ballistic coefficient on aerocapture were analyzed, demonstrating that joint modulation can achieve complementary advantages compared with pure lift modulation and drag modulation. Based on this flight control option, optimal aerocapture trajectories with different path constraints, target orbital constraints and control variable constraints were found. It bears noting that both the bank angle and the reference area were taken as control variables for lift modulation and drag modulation, respectively, during the atmospheric flight in the process of designing the optimal trajectories. The optimal results indicate that the flight control option with lift and drag joint modulation can greatly broaden the necessary conditions for aerocapture and extend the target orbital range. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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15 pages, 4959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lightweight CNN-Based Method for Spacecraft Component Detection

by Yuepeng Liu, Xingyu Zhou and Hongwei Han

Aerospace 2022, 9(12), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9120761 - 27 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1486

Abstract

Spacecraft component detection is essential for space missions, such as for rendezvous and on-orbit assembly. Traditional intelligent detection algorithms suffer from drawbacks related to high computational burden, and are not applicable for on-board use. This paper proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based lightweight [...] Read more.

Spacecraft component detection is essential for space missions, such as for rendezvous and on-orbit assembly. Traditional intelligent detection algorithms suffer from drawbacks related to high computational burden, and are not applicable for on-board use. This paper proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based lightweight algorithm for spacecraft component detection. A lightweight approach based on the Ghost module and channel compression is first presented to decrease the amount of processing and data storage required by the detection algorithm. To improve feature extraction, we analyze the characteristics of spacecraft imagery, and multi-head self-attention is used. In addition, a weighted bidirectional feature pyramid network is incorporated into the algorithm to increase precision. Numerical simulations show that the proposed method can drastically reduce the computational overhead while still guaranteeing good detection precision. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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20 pages, 4236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Comparison of Contact Force Models in the Discrete Element Method

by Ziwen Li, Xiangyuan Zeng, Tongge Wen and Yonglong Zhang

Aerospace 2022, 9(11), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9110737 - 21 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2465

Abstract

The discrete element method (DEM) is usually applied in analyzing the scientifical origin/evolution of the asteroids and the landing/sampling of the regolith. In order to manage the contact between the non-spherical granules, the Polygonal Contact Model (PCM) has been introduced into the DEM [...] Read more.

The discrete element method (DEM) is usually applied in analyzing the scientifical origin/evolution of the asteroids and the landing/sampling of the regolith. In order to manage the contact between the non-spherical granules, the Polygonal Contact Model (PCM) has been introduced into the DEM method. This paper applies four different contact force models in the newly-proposed DEM algorithm to analyze their difference and implication. The four contact force models include one linear model and three nonlinear models derived from the complete Mindlin–Deresiewicz equations. By considering the macroscopical results and calculation efficiency, the single-collision and multiple-collision cases are analyzed by comparing the four contact models. Specifically, the restitution coefficient, the angular velocity, the rebound angle, and the kinetic energy are applied as indicators for the single collision. The multiple-collision case is studied under the Brazil nut effect with ellipsoidal granules. Additionally, the softening feasibility is also discussed by decreasing the Young’s modulus of the material, mainly analyzing the outgoing results and the calculation efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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31 pages, 1466 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prescribed Performance Adaptive Balance Control for Reaction Wheel-Based Inverted Pendulum-Type Cubli Rovers in Asteroid

by He Huang, Zejian Li, Zongyi Guo, Jianguo Guo, Le Suo and Haoliang Wang

Aerospace 2022, 9(11), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9110728 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1530

Abstract

This paper investigates the issue of balance control for reaction-wheeled inverted pendulum-type Cubli Rovers on asteroids, and an adaptive control scheme is proposed via the prescribed performance control technique. The main feature lies in the fact that the transient behavior is satisfied which [...] Read more.

This paper investigates the issue of balance control for reaction-wheeled inverted pendulum-type Cubli Rovers on asteroids, and an adaptive control scheme is proposed via the prescribed performance control technique. The main feature lies in the fact that the transient behavior is satisfied which is required critically in the environment of asteroids. The attitude model of reaction-wheeled inverted pendulum-type Cubli Rovers is first constructed by virtue of the momentum moment theorem and Eulerian kinematics. Based on that, the gravitational field in the asteroid is described and the avoiding jumping condition is analyzed. Then, an adaptive prescribed performance control (APPC) method is proposed to obtain the fine tracking performance of the equilibrium error such that the inverted pendulum-type Cubli Rovers achieve the self-balancing motion. The proposed method is capable of ensuring the tracking errors inside the preset boundary functions, and the asymptotic stability of all states in the closed-loop system is guaranteed via the Lyapunov stability theory. The simulation and comparison results on the environment of asteroids verify the effectiveness and superiority of the presented control law. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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19 pages, 5400 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stability of a Flexible Asteroid Lander with Landing Control

by Weifeng Yan, Ruoyu Feng and Hexi Baoyin

Aerospace 2022, 9(11), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9110719 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1540

Abstract

Stable landing on asteroids is of considerable scientific and economic value but accompanied by huge difficulties. This paper proposes a novel flexible lander suitable for asteroids with microgravity and rugged surface. The gravity model with the artificial neural network and the surface model [...] Read more.

Stable landing on asteroids is of considerable scientific and economic value but accompanied by huge difficulties. This paper proposes a novel flexible lander suitable for asteroids with microgravity and rugged surface. The gravity model with the artificial neural network and the surface model with the spherical harmonic method are introduced to establish the target asteroid’s dynamical environment. The flexible dynamics with the discrete shell model, the collision with the spring-damping model and viscous sliding friction, and the rigid coupling with the constraint violation stabilization method are elaborated for the lander. Combining the asteroid’s model with the lander’s dynamics, one successful landing scenario of the lander is presented. The lander’s landing stability of the final uncontrolled touching phase is studied through massive simulations. It is found that reasonable touching conditions can largely enhance the landing stability, and the lander can achieve a stable landing on the asteroid under a particular touching condition without control. The flexible lander’s comparison to the rigid lander is also discussed. It is concluded that the flexible lander does have higher adaptability and lower risk in asteroid landing. What is more, the attitude controller and position controller for the lander’s descent phase are also proposed and tested. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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19 pages, 3000 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Existence and Control of Special Orbits around Asteroid 4 Vesta

by Bo Ren, Yu Jiang, Hengnian Li and Chunsheng Jiang

Aerospace 2022, 9(8), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9080466 - 21 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1321

Abstract

This paper focuses on the existence and control of particular types of orbits around asteroid 4 Vesta, including Sun-synchronous orbits, orbits at the critical inclination, repeating ground-track orbits, and stationary orbits. J₂, J₃, and J₄ terms are considered [...] Read more.

This paper focuses on the existence and control of particular types of orbits around asteroid 4 Vesta, including Sun-synchronous orbits, orbits at the critical inclination, repeating ground-track orbits, and stationary orbits. J₂, J₃, and J₄ terms are considered in the gravity model of Vesta. First, the inclination perturbation caused by solar gravitation is studied, and preset and multiple inclination bias methods are proposed to dampen the local time drift at the ascending node. Compared with Vesta, the control periods of the Sun-synchronous orbits of 21 Lutetia and 433 Eros are much longer. Second, Vesta’s orbits with a critical inclination depend on the semi-major axis and eccentricity. If the eccentricity is not greater than 0.2, inclination decreases slowly and monotonically concerning the semi-major axis. If the eccentricity is not smaller than 0.4, inclination increases rapidly and monotonically. Third, Sun-synchronous repeating ground-track circular orbits of Vesta, which do not exist for Lutetia and Eros, are investigated. Finally, the perturbations of stationary orbits caused by solar gravitation and solar radiation pressure are analyzed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics and Control Problems on Asteroid Explorations)

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