Design and control of microsatellite clusters for tracking missions

Space-based tracking missions are an emerging interest that could be accomplished using a cluster of microsatellites. This thesis addresses the design of microsatellite clusters to accurately track a target in a probabilistic suborbital occupancy corridor by pursuing the following: orbit determination using optimal measurement principles, cluster design heuristics and fuel optimal cluster maintenance. These are all evaluated on a high-fidelity simulation testbed. First, the orbital determination approach utilizes optimal measurement principles to design a constellation of clusters that minimizes the average model-based target tracking error. A two part approach, (1) constellation design and (2) cluster design, reduces the overall orbit determination complexity. The constellation design provides continuous, 24 hour coverage of the occupancy corridor and virtual formation centers about which the cluster design formulates the relative microsatellite orbits. Results suggest that satellite separations, rather than the number of the microsatellites in the cluster, are more important for providing target tracking accuracy.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Griffith, John Daniel

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Leena Singh and Jonathan How.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/39703

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/39703