Dynamic Coupling and Control Response Effects on Spacecraft Handling Qualities During Docking

摘要

NASAis developing a new generation of spacecraft to replace the Space Shuttle and return astronauts to the moon.nThese spacecraft will have a manual control capability for several mission tasks, and the ease and precision withnwhich pilots can execute these tasks will have an important effect on mission risk and training costs. A simulationnevaluated the handling qualities of a generic space vehicle based on dynamics similar to one of these spacecraft,nNASA’s Crew Exploration Vehicle, during the last segment of the docking task with a space station. This handlingnqualities evaluation looked at four different translational control systems, called response types, thatmappilot inputsnto thruster firings in a way that gives predictable and useful vehicle responses. These response types were flown withnthree levels of translation-into-rotation dynamic coupling arising from a longitudinal offset between the reactionncontrol system thrusters and the vehicle’s center of mass. The results indicate that greater translation-into-rotationncoupling is strongly correlated with degraded handling qualities, but that different response types do not have anmajor effect on pilot workload, final docking performance, or handling qualities.