howmightonequalifyformationflight( alvar)（howmightonequalifyformationflight(乙烯树脂)）（31页）.docVIP

Developing and Maturing Micro-Satellite Formation Flight Technology Alvar Saenz-Otero, SPHERES Lead Scientist, MIT Space Systems Laboratory, MIT Room 37-381, 70 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139, alvarso@ Simon Nolet, Post-Doctoral Associate, MIT Space Systems Laboratory MIT Room 37-356, 70 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139, snolet@ Raymond Sedwick, Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering 3146 Martin Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 David W. Miller, Director, MIT Space Systems Laboratory, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics MIT Room 37-327, 70 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139 Introduction This chapter addresses some of the challenges of synthesizing the functionality of a larger satellites through the formation flight of multiple micro-satellites. While the motivation for satellite formation flight can be quite compelling, the challenges of developing and maturing the technology can be equally daunting. This chapter will focus on the efforts of the MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department’s Space Systems Laboratory (MIT-SSL) to answer the following questions: What current and future missions will require formation flight? What are the challenges in formation flight? How does one mature formation-flight technology? Can propellant-less techniques be employed to reduce fuel consumption during formation flight? The following sections address the motivation, the challenges, a technique for propellant-less satellite formation flight, an approach to in-space technology maturation and verification, and sample results of maturing micro-satellite technologies including estimation, docking, and formation flight. Motivation for satellite formation flight Astronomy has entered a golden age. We are starting to answer the age-old questions of how did it all begin, how will it end, and is there life beyond Earth. Discovering the answers to these questions raises daunting engineering challenges. Space telescopes — our premier investigator