Electrostatically charged spacecraft have been proposed for formation-flying applications inLEO and GEO. The inter-spacecraft Coulomb force acts internally to the formation, while thegeomagnetic Lorentz force provides an external perturbation. A relative-motion dynamicalmodel is developed that includes the effect of both Coulomb and Lorentz forces. The Debyelength is modeled as a function of altitude, and a domain of altitudes and separation distancesis identified where both forces have similar magnitudes. Given advances in technology andin space plasma knowledge, notional Coulomb-Lorentz spacecraft formations are introducedthat use electromagnetic forces alternatively for formation control and orbit control.
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