Spacecraft rendezvous and docking techniques
AssigneeSpace Systems/Loral, Inc.
InventorsRobert Erik Schwarz, John Douglas Lymer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for performing spacecraft rendezvous and/or docking include operating a first orbiting spacecraft, the first spacecraft including a sensor arrangement, a first processor and a first inter-satellite link (ISL) arrangement and performing one or both of a rendezvous operation and a docking operation with the first spacecraft and a second orbiting spacecraft, the second spacecraft including one or more actuators. The performing one or both of the rendezvous operation and the docking operation includes determining a pose and pose rate of the second spacecraft relative to the first spacecraft using observations made by the sensor arrangement and determining a desired approach trajectory for the second spacecraft.
Claims16
A method comprising:
- operating a first orbiting spacecraft, the first spacecraft including a sensor arrangement, a first processor and a first inter-satellite link (ISL) arrangement;
- and
- performing one or both of a rendezvous operation and a docking operation with the first spacecraft and a second orbiting spacecraft, the second spacecraft including one or more actuators;
- wherein:
- the one or more actuators include one or more thrusters, reaction wheels, magnetic torquers, or solar sails;
- and the performing one or both of the rendezvous operation and the docking operation includes:
- using observations made by the sensor arrangement to determine (a) a pose and pose rate of the second spacecraft relative to the first spacecraft, and (b) a desired approach trajectory for the second spacecraft;
- and
- transmitting to the second spacecraft, by way of the first ISL arrangement, instructions to follow the desired approach trajectory, the instructions including a sequence of maneuvers and/or commands to the one or more actuators.
A first spacecraft comprising a sensor arrangement, a first processor and a first inter-satellite link (ISL) arrangement, wherein
- the sensor arrangement is configured to make observations of a second spacecraft;
- the first processor is configured to determine (a) a pose and pose rate of the second spacecraft relative to the first spacecraft using the observations, and (b) a desired approach trajectory for the second spacecraft in order to execute one or both of a rendezvous operation and a docking operation;
- and
- the first spacecraft is configured to control one or both of the rendezvous operation and the docking operation by:
- transmitting to the second spacecraft, by way of the first ISL arrangement, instructions to follow the desired approach trajectory, the instructions including a sequence of maneuvers to be executed by the second spacecraft and/or commands to one or more of thrusters, reaction wheels, magnetic torquers, or solar sails on board the second spacecraft.
A system comprising:
- a first orbiting spacecraft including a sensor arrangement, a first processor and a first inter-satellite link (ISL) arrangement;
- and
- a second orbiting spacecraft including a second processor and one or more actuators;
- wherein:
- the one or more actuators include one or more thrusters, reaction wheels, magnetic torquers, or solar sails
- the sensor arrangement is configured make observations of the second spacecraft;
- the system is configured to perform one or both of a rendezvous operation and a docking operation of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft by one or both of the rendezvous operation and the docking operation includes:
- using observations made by the sensor arrangement to determine (a) a pose and pose rate of the second spacecraft relative to the first spacecraft, and (b) a desired approach trajectory for the second spacecraft;
- and
- transmitting to the second spacecraft, by way of the first ISL arrangement, instructions to follow the desired approach trajectory, the instructions including a sequence of maneuvers and/or commands to the one or more actuators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.