%0 Journal Article
%T Orbit design and control method for satellite clusters and its applications to NetSat project
%A Jian-jun Luo
%A Klaus Schilling
%A Liang Zhou
%A Tiago Nogueira
%J Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
%@ 2041-3025
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/0954410017696109
%X In this paper, an optimal orbit design and control method for satellite clusters is presented and the method is applied to the four pico/nano-satellite system NetSat. Firstly, the relative motion based on relative eccentricity/inclination vectors is reviewed. Then, an optimal orbit design method for the cluster flight is developed, and the initial states of satellites in the cluster are derived using a graphical representation of the relative eccentricity/inclination vectors combined with a constrained nonlinear programming method. Next, a novel satellite cluster feedback control method is designed, and an optimal three-maneuver strategy is proposed, which could maintain the satellites in a bounded relative motion, satisfying the tight fuel consumption constraints and fuel balance for a long operational lifetime. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the optimal orbit design and control for satellites cluster and its application to NetSat project are verified through numerical simulations
%K Orbit design and control
%K satellite clusters
%K formation flying
%K relative eccentricity/inclination vectors
%K NetSat project
%K fuel consumption
%K fuel balance
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0954410017696109