Propellant-free Spacecraft Relative Maneuvering via Atmospheric Differential Drag

(Project duration: 04/15/2012-04/14/2015. Funding: US$333,991)

Riccardo Bevilacqua (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute-Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering Department)

This research seeks to greatly extend the knowledge about spacecraft/atmosphere interactions in Low Earth Orbits (LEO). This, in turn, will enable propellant-free multi-spacecraft missions, exploiting atmospheric Differential Drag (DD). In addition, it will provide a superior platform for onboard estimation of atmospheric neutral density. DD is a non-chemical, propellant-free new concept to generate relative control forces at LEO. This study will build the knowledge necessary for a new way to model and exploit the atmosphere, paving the way for a first demonstration flight. The research objectives are: 1) to create a theoretical framework for understanding and designing analytical, DD-based guidance trajectories for new multi-spacecraft missions; 2) devise a feedback control strategy for accurate tracking of the guidance in a real flight environment; 3) provide an important contribution to atmosphere modeling and particularly atmospheric neutral density estimation; 4) design a spacecraft capable of DD control.