Robust online control customisation techniques for planetary space vehicle
One of the most important operational requirements for manned or unmanned space vehicles for exploration purposes is the adequate, accurate and robust control of the position and attitude. This is needed to be able to reach another planet or celestial body while optimising some parameters such as time, propellant consumption and scientific measurements. However, navigation is a complex engineering topic that involves very complex processes and theoretical modelling.
To address these difficult challenges, this activity will perform simulations of control techniques and technologies for space exploration vehicles. Within this study, planetary lander specific vehicles will not be considered, instead specific vehicles, such as orbiters and transfer vehicles, will be considered. The more simulations are performed, the more experience and confidence can be gained in preparation for the implementation of navigation techniques in a flight system.
The activity deals with analysis, design, development, test and evaluation of the concepts and the simulations of such control techniques and technologies. As planned for other related activities, two categories will be depicted: manned and unmanned missions. The control design will be robust enough to cope with different environments and vehicle designs.
The following steps will be taken: defining the mission requirements and identifying all constraints, identifying control modes of operations, designing control laws, establishing simulations for verification and validation. Among the objectives, the activity shall find, for each phase of the spacecraft mission, the best adapted control modes and mode chaining and shall allow defining the guidance, navigation and control (GNC) design equipment. Testing will then be carried out taking into account the analysis and design phase outputs.
Control laws have to cope with sensor and actuator capabilities and limitations. As these technologies progress and develop, control laws have to be refined accordingly to optimise sets of criterion. In the long-term future (manned mission), one has to rely on very robust control laws that will minimise the crew time related to navigation, especially in such critical phases as entry and/or docking.
| Start |
Expected or actual duration | Status | Prime contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov '02 | 34 months | Completed | Alcatel Space |
Executive Summary