A method is devised to provide orbit control of the elements of a small spacecraft formation using the highly non-spherical gravitational potential of a nearby, co-orbiting massive body, such as a rocket body, at the formation center. The baseline motion of the formation elements is described by the well-known Hill-Clohessy-Wiltshire equations, and the perturbing effect of the large mass at the center of the Hill's frame is highly dependent on the chiefs attitude. This dependence provides a means of controlling the positions of the formation elements, and some methods for implementing that control are investigated.
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