A Matching Pursuit Algorithm Approach to Chaser-Target Formation Flying Problems with Linear Time-Invariant Dynamics

摘要

In this article we present a new approach to satellite formation flying problems involving two spacecraft, one of which (the "chaser") is actively controlling its relative position with respect to the other (the "target"). The goal of this controller is to use the minimum number of thruster firings in order to keep the chaser following its reference position within a certain tolerance. We show an approach based on the Matching Pursuit algorithm (MP), which proves to provide a solution to this problem in the open-loop case. A feedback version of the controller can be obtained by turning the method into a Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategy, thanks to the fact that the computational cost of the method is small. An example of application is shown at the end for a mission scenario inspired by the PROBA3 mission, which is currently under development.