Orbital debris has become an increasingly severe problem, and active debris removal (ADR) missions are gaining progressively more attention. The first step in an ADR mission would be approaching the debris, which is usually a non-cooperative target. In a non-cooperative rendezvous, obtaining continuous sensor measurements for navigation is quite difficult due to the loss of sensor lock or the effect of solar reflection on the optical camera. It is essential to ensure passive abort (PA) safety and to guarantee robustness against collisions in the case of off-nominal thruster burns caused by spacecraft anomalies such as navigation sensor or actuator failures. In the proximity phase, sensors and navigation algorithms need to be switched according to the distance between the chaser and the target, considering the field of view and range of the rendezvous sensors. At the sensor-switching point, the navigation values before and after the switchover are compared, and if the health of the sensor is confirmed, the system proceeds to the next approach sequence. This paper proposes a design method of robust relative trajectories in low Earth orbits that considers PA safety and the ease of troubleshooting and transition to the backup relative orbits in the spiral trajectory.
Robust Relative Trajectory Design considering Passive Abort Safety under Sensor Failure Situation
2022-03-05
6118475 byte
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English