CONTROL OF HIGH FIDELITY LINEARIZED MODEL FOR SATELLITE FORMATION FLIGHT USING AERODYNAMIC DRAG

This paper approves the viability of maintaining a Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite formation flight using aerodynamic drag. It firstly looks insight the relative motion between two satellites using high-fidelity modified equations of Clohessy-Wiltshire. These equations are derived from Hill's relative equations and extended to consider the effects of main perturbations: J(2) and aerodynamic drag. Based on them, a control algorithm is designed to achieve relative position by dynamically adapting drag plate cross-sectional areas to meet the desired formation keeping. The control technique uses the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) which is developed to track periodic trajectory input. The main goal of this effort is to provide high precise and practical control algorithm based on more realistic relative motion equations and to test its performance using high-fidelity perturbations-based orbit propagator.