Simulated Formation Control Maneuvers for the RANGE CubeSat Mission
Author(s)
Groesbeck, Daniel
Gunter, Brian C. C.
Hart, Kenneth
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Abstract
The Ranging And Nanosatellite Guidance Experiment (RANGE) mission will
fly two 1.5U CubeSats in a leader-follower formation, using only differential
drag to control their relative separation distance. To prepare for mission operations,
a simulation was developed that involved the creation of a high-precision
orbit propagation (HPOP) plugin for AGI's Systems Tool Kit (STK) that accounts
for rarefied flow characteristics and incorporates a maneuver control system.
To evaluate the impact of using the rarefied flow model, various scenarios
were run in high and low drag modes using the HPOP propagator, with and
without the plugin activated. The difference was significant, showing differences
at the kilometer level after several days of simulation. This analysis was
compared to real mission positioning data from similar missions by Planet and
Aerospace Corp. These comparisons allowed for the determination of an upper
and lower bound of expected separation rates for RANGE. This enabled the creation
of a series of control maneuvers that will be used to maintain a stable (oscillating)
orbit configuration for RANGE, as well as for increasing or decreasing
the satellites relative distance within a fixed timeframe.
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Date
2017-08
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Text
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Paper
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