Model predictive control for rendezvous hovering phases based on a novel description of constrained trajectories

Abstract : The present article proposes a predictive control law for orbital spacecraft rendezvous hovering phases. An innovative description of periodic space-restricted trajectories based on computing the envelope of a family of curves is given. This description is used to provide a model predictive controller able to minimize the fuel consumption and account convex constraints, such as periodicity, saturation of the thrusters and space restrictions. The efficiency of this control algorithm is assessed on a board simulating the performance of devices usually employed in space applications.