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Feasibility of Decentralized Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian Control of Autonomous Distributed SpacecraftA distributed satellite formation, modeled as an arbitrary number of fully connected nodes in a network, could be controlled using a decentralized controller framework that distributes operations in parallel over the network. For such problems, a solution that minimizes data transmission requirements, in the context of linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) control theory, was given by Speyer. This approach is advantageous because it is non-hierarchical, detected failures gracefully degrade system performance, fewer local computations are required than for a centralized controller, and it is optimal with respect to the standard LQG cost function. Disadvantages of the approach are the need for a fully connected communications network, the total operations performed over all the nodes are greater than for a centralized controller, and the approach is formulated for linear time-invariant systems. To investigate the feasibility of the decentralized approach to satellite formation flying, a simple centralized LQG design for a spacecraft orbit control problem is adapted to the decentralized framework. The simple design uses a fixed reference trajectory (an equatorial, Keplerian, circular orbit), and by appropriate choice of coordinates and measurements is formulated as a linear time-invariant system.
Document ID
19990064186
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Carpenter, J. Russell
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: 1999 Flight Mechanics Symposium
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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