Nonlinear backstepping with saturation for low-thrust station-keeping of libration point orbits
António Nunes, Sérgio Brás, Pedro Batista
TLDR
This paper introduces a novel nonlinear backstepping control for low-thrust station-keeping of libration point orbits, ensuring stability even with actuator saturation.
Key contributions
- Presents a novel nonlinear backstepping control for low-thrust station-keeping of Earth-Moon libration point orbits.
- Achieves almost global uniform exponential stability guarantees using Lyapunov theory.
- Formally incorporates actuator saturation into controller design, maintaining stability guarantees.
- Discusses optimal gain selection and validates performance through Monte Carlo analysis.
Why it matters
This research is crucial for developing robust, efficient station-keeping systems for future missions to Earth-Moon libration points. By formally addressing actuator saturation, it enhances the reliability and practicality of low-thrust propulsion in space.
Original Abstract
This paper presents a novel nonlinear backstepping control law for continuous, low-thrust station-keeping in the Earth-Moon system. Quasi-periodic libration point orbits are targeted under a high-fidelity model of the dynamics. Almost global uniform exponential stability guarantees are attained, as shown through Lyapunov's stability theory. Saturation of the actuators is formally included in the controller design, such that these guarantees hold even in the event of saturation. The relationship between saturation threshold, control gains, and deviation is studied and an optimal procedure for gain selection is discussed. The control solution is tested numerically through a Monte Carlo analysis over representative application cases, subject to operational errors, constraints, and external perturbations. Station-keeping under actuation saturation is validated considering a conservative threshold for typical electric propulsion systems.
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