Proximity spacecraft maneuvering

A system for relative spacecraft maneuvering implemented aboard a maneuvering spacecraft, the system comprising:

• one or more maneuvering thrusters on the maneuvering spacecraft;
• a computer system operatively connected with the one or maneuvering thrusters and with the one or more position and velocity sensors, the computer system comprising at least one processor, at least one camera capable of capturing a video image and a plurality of still images, and a memory, the processor is configured to:
• generate a maneuvering grid that comprises a plurality of maneuvering nodes around at least one three-dimensional model, the maneuvering nodes correspond to points in space through which the maneuvering spacecraft can safely traverse around each target spacecraft corresponding to the at least one three-dimensional model;
• compute a trajectory for the maneuvering spacecraft comprising a plurality of waypoints, each of the plurality of waypoints is a maneuvering node, wherein the trajectory is computed to minimize the amount of fuel and the amount of time required to complete the trajectory
• firing one or more thrusters of the maneuvering spacecraft to move the maneuvering spacecraft toward a first waypoint according to the computed trajectory;
• measure the present position and velocity of the maneuvering spacecraft relative to the first waypoint by comparing images from the camera with the at least one three-dimensional model of the at least one target spacecraft.

A method of relative spacecraft maneuvering implemented aboard a maneuvering spacecraft that includes a computer device coupled with a camera capable of capturing video and still images, a memory on which are stored one or more three-dimensional models of target spacecraft and the maneuvering spacecraft, and a processor, the method comprising:

• generating, by the processor, a maneuvering grid that comprises a plurality of maneuvering nodes around one or more three-dimensional models, the maneuvering nodes correspond to points in space through which the maneuvering spacecraft can safely traverse around each target spacecraft corresponding to the one or more three-dimensional models;
• computing, by the processor, a trajectory for the maneuvering spacecraft comprising a plurality of waypoints that avoid the one or more target spacecraft, each of the plurality of waypoints is a maneuvering node, wherein the trajectory is computed using an A* algorithm to minimize the amount of fuel and the amount of time required to complete the trajectory;
• firing, by the processor, one or more thrusters of the maneuvering spacecraft to move the maneuvering spacecraft toward a first waypoint according to the computed trajectory;
• measuring, by the processor, the present position and velocity of the maneuvering spacecraft relative to the first waypoint by comparing images from the camera with the one or more three-dimensional models of the one or more target spacecraft;
• comparing, by the processor, the measured position and velocity of the maneuvering spacecraft with the computed trajectory at the first waypoint;
• on a condition that the maneuvering spacecraft is within a predetermined deviation from the first waypoint, repeating the firing, measuring and comparing to direct the maneuvering spacecraft to a second waypoint;
• and
• on a condition that the maneuvering spacecraft is within a predetermined deviation from the first waypoint, repeating the computing, firing, measuring and comparing to direct the maneuvering spacecraft to the first waypoint.