A feasibility study of solar radiation pressure feedback control strategy for unstable periodic orbits in the restricted three-body problem

Abstract

This paper investigates a Hamiltonian structure preserving control strategy that uses, where possible, solar radiation pressure as an alternative propellant-free control acceleration. This control strategy is based on previous authors work, but it is extended to a general case in which complex and conjugate eigenvalues occur at high amplitude orbits. High amplitude orbits are currently of interest to the European Space Agency (ESA) for future Libration-points orbits space missions since a lower insertion V is required to reach these orbits by saving propellant. This control aims to stabilise the LPOs in the sense of Lyapunov by achieving simple stability, and it preserves the Hamiltonian nature of the controlled system. Based on the design of the feedback control, the purpose of this work is to verify when the use of SRP is feasible. Indeed, the order of magnitude of solar radiation pressure acceleration depends on the spacecraft’s reflective area, the area orientation angle and its reflectivity properties. Therefore, due to constraints in the orientation angle and in the deployable reflective area, it is important to identify when, along the spacecraft’s trajectory it is possible to apply SRP to stabilise the unstable periodic orbit. This limitation in the actuator causes the “windup” of the controller; thus, the use of desaturation methods are investigated.

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ORCID for Camilla Colombo: orcid.org/0000-0001-9636-9360

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