Maneuver-Aided Active Satellite Tracking Using Six-DOF Optimal Dynamic Inversion Control

A generalized inter-satellite tracking problem, maneuver-aided active satellite tracking, is addressed here. An active satellite has uncooperative maneuver, which shortens the tracking window and worsens the tracking precision. For tracking an active target satellite, a spacecraft maneuver-aided tracking strategy (SMATS) is proposed. Consisting of a robust tracking algorithm, an osculating-orbit-based coordinate matching scheme, a six-degree-of-freedom (six-DOF) maneuver control law and a transfer function of tracking attitude, the proposed approach can not only achieve precise tracking, but also keep a chaser satellite autonomously staying with the desired position and attitude to guarantee the tracking continuity. Based on sufficient stability conditions derived from system error analysis, a six-DOF optimal dynamic inversion control (ODIC) law is developed. As a precise nonlinear optimal solution, it provides the most adequate control performance with minimum impact to the tracking result. Both formation and hovering keeping of active satellites are simulated to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed SMATS and the advantages of the ODIC law.