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AUTONOMOUS CONTROLS ALGORITHMFOR FORMATION FLYING OF SATELLITES

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Date Issued:
2006
Abstract/Description:
This document describes the design and analysis of the Navigation, Guidance and Control System for the KnightSat project. The purpose for the project is to test and demonstrate new technologies the Air Force would be interested in for research and development. The primary mission of KnightSat is to show how a constellation of satellites can maintain relative position with each other autonomously using the Microwave Electro Thermal (MET) thruster. The secondary mission is to use multiple satellite imagery to obtain 3 dimensional stereo photographs of observable terrain. Formation flying itself has many possible uses for future applications. Selected missions that require imaging or data collection can be more economically accomplished using smaller multiple satellites. The MET thruster is a very efficient, but low thrust alternative that can provide thrust for a very long time, hence provide the low thrust necessary to maintain the satellites at a constant separation. The challenge is to design a working control algorithm to provide the desired output data to be used to command the MET thrusters. The satellites are to maintain a constant relative distance from each other, and use the least amount of fuel possible. If one satellite runs out of fuel before the other, it would render the constellation less useful or useless. Hence, the satellites must use the same amount of fuel in order to maintain an optimal operational duration on orbit.
Title: AUTONOMOUS CONTROLS ALGORITHMFOR FORMATION FLYING OF SATELLITES.
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Name(s): Santiago, Luis, Author
Johnson, Roger, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2006
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: This document describes the design and analysis of the Navigation, Guidance and Control System for the KnightSat project. The purpose for the project is to test and demonstrate new technologies the Air Force would be interested in for research and development. The primary mission of KnightSat is to show how a constellation of satellites can maintain relative position with each other autonomously using the Microwave Electro Thermal (MET) thruster. The secondary mission is to use multiple satellite imagery to obtain 3 dimensional stereo photographs of observable terrain. Formation flying itself has many possible uses for future applications. Selected missions that require imaging or data collection can be more economically accomplished using smaller multiple satellites. The MET thruster is a very efficient, but low thrust alternative that can provide thrust for a very long time, hence provide the low thrust necessary to maintain the satellites at a constant separation. The challenge is to design a working control algorithm to provide the desired output data to be used to command the MET thrusters. The satellites are to maintain a constant relative distance from each other, and use the least amount of fuel possible. If one satellite runs out of fuel before the other, it would render the constellation less useful or useless. Hence, the satellites must use the same amount of fuel in order to maintain an optimal operational duration on orbit.
Identifier: CFE0001171 (IID), ucf:46854 (fedora)
Note(s): 2006-05-01
M.S.
Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): autonomous
controls
satellite
formation
flying
orbital
maneuvering
KnightSat
guidance
navigation
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001171
Restrictions on Access: campus 2007-01-31
Host Institution: UCF

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