Partially Independent Control Scheme for Spacecraft Rendezvous in Near-Circular Orbits

Due to the complexity and inconstancy of the space environment, accurate mathematical models for spacecraft rendezvous are difficult to obtain, which consequently complicates the control tasks. In this paper, a linearized time-variant plant model with external perturbations is adopted to approximate the real circumstance. To realize the robust stability with optimal performance cost, a partially independent control scheme is proposed, which consists of a robust anti-windup controller for the in-plane motion and a ${{H}_{\infty}}$ controller for the out-of-plane motion. Finally, a rendezvous simulation is given to corroborate the practicality and advantages of the partially independent control scheme over a coupled control scheme.

Comments: 18 pages, 7 figures, Submitted to ASCE Journal of Aerospace Engineering