Micro-Spacecraft Formation-Flying Cluster --- A new approach to distributed space sensing missions

Paper number

IAC-06-B5.2.09

Author

Mr. Chao Bei, R&D Center of Academy of Information Technology, China

Coauthor

Ms. Jin Jiang, R&D Center of Academy of Information Technology of China Aerospace Science & Industry Corp., China

Year

2006

Abstract

With the spread of space application field, more and more complicated missions can not be satisfied by only single spacecraft. For many distributed space sensing missions such as deep space environment monitoring, comet exploration etc., the cluster approach can be used for more thorough investigations by getting information in different places and from various angles. Furthermore the cluster approach is also a good way to provide redundancy to improve reliability of the whole application system. 

Both light weight and small size of the spacecraft are important supporting conditions for distributed space sensing missions, because limited launch capability can accommodate adequate number of spacecrafts to construct a practical distributed cluster only if the member-spacecraft is light and small enough. Formation flying is the basis of coordinated work by multi spacecrafts. As long as the mission requirements are satisfied, loose formation will be adopted to simplify the initialization and maintenance task, which can further achieve the goal of better performance as well as low cost. Though formation could be loose, it can not be divergent. So each spacecraft in the cluster should adjust its movement in order not to straggle while act with consideration of other’s action in order to improve the collective efficiency and avoid collision. As an example for cluster coordination solution, a master-slave approach is used in this paper to solve the multi micro-spacecraft orbit transfer problem. 

Both increasing complexity of the space missions and difficulties of long distance control of large number of spacecrafts from ground station have put forward a clear demand for spacecraft autonomy. In autonomy operation mode, only high level instructions (for example mission scheduling and planning) are sent to the whole spacecraft cluster. Through certain intelligence approach, high level instructions are broken down into specific platform tasks for each member-spacecraft to carry out. Multi-agents techniques are used in this paper to solve the multi micro-spacecraft autonomy problem. 

Characterized by autonomy and low cost by multi micro-spacecraft collaboration, micro-spacecraft cluster will consequentially be proved useful in future distributed space sensing missions.

Abstract document

IAC-06-B5.2.09.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-B5.2.09.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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