Guidance, Navigation, and Control of Spacecraft and Space Robots
A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Automation and Control Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1678
Special Issue Editors
Interests: lidar sensor data fusion; spacecraft relative navigation; spacecraft GNC; on orbit servicing; active debris removal
Interests: spacecraft guidance; navigation and control; spacecraft relative navigation; pose determination; electro-optical sensors; LIDAR; star tracker; unmanned aerial vehicles; autonomous navigation; sense and avoid; visual detection and tracking
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The future of space exploration depends on the development of fully autonomous and intelligent systems capable of operating safely and efficiently in complex and unpredictable environments. Missions involving on-orbit servicing, satellite formation flying, and planetary exploration require spacecraft and robotic systems that can make decisions, adapt to uncertainties, and execute tasks with minimal human intervention. Achieving high levels of autonomy is essential for enabling long-duration missions, improving operational efficiency, and reducing reliance on ground control.
To ensure the safety and reliability of autonomous space operations, innovative Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) solutions are required. These must be able to handle uncertainties, optimize trajectories, and manage multi-body interactions, ensuring robust and adaptive performance in dynamic space environments.
The aim of this Special Issue is to assemble both theoretical and experimental research advancements in the dynamics, guidance, navigation, and control of space vehicles and space robots, covering topics from fundamental modeling to real-world applications.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Orbital and attitude dynamics;
- Autonomous Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC);
- Robust and adaptive control for space systems;
- Space robotic manipulation and assembly;
- Autonomous space robots for planetary exploration and satellite servicing;
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning for spacecraft GNC.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Alessia Nocerino
Dr. Roberto Opromolla
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Machines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- guidance navigation and control
- autonomous spacecraft operations
- robust control
- fault-taulerant control
- flight dynamics
- attitude dynamics
- artificial intelligence for space applications
- space robotics
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