Analytical Solutions to Spacecraft Formation-Flying Guidance Using Virtual Motion Camouflage

Formation-flying has been recognized as one of the enabling technologies for a variety of space mission concepts because of the potential benefits in cost reduction, enhanced flexibility, increased observational baseline, and better survivability and reliability. One important requirement of the formation-flying system is the ability to generate trajectories in real time reliably to maximize mission return. This paper presents simple and analytical open-loop guidance solutions to formation-flying reconfiguration trajectory design problems through the bioinspired virtual motion camouflage methodology and the pseudospectral discretization approach. The algorithms investigated here can be applied to different kinds of initial and final conditions as well as different linearized models considering the eccentricity effects and/or the J(2) perturbation. Simulations are used to demonstrate the capabilities of the achieved analytical solutions for two formation-flying reconfiguration scenarios.