Adaptive Smooth Control via Nonsingular Fast Terminal Sliding Mode for Distributed Space Telescope Demonstration Mission by CubeSat Formation Flying

TL;DR

This paper introduces an adaptive smooth control method based on nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode for distributed space telescopes, improving control performance and efficiency in CubeSat formation flying missions.

Contribution

It develops an adaptive smooth control algorithm extended to orbit and attitude control, with analytical error bounds and fewer parameters, suitable for real CubeSat missions.

Findings

Better alignment time compared to LQR and PDI controllers

Reduced fuel consumption in simulations

Effective control under real mission constraints

Abstract

This paper presents a nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode-based adaptive smooth control methodology for a distributed space telescope demonstration mission. The distributed space telescope has a flexible focal length that corresponds to the relative position in the formation flying concept. The limited specification of a CubeSat generally restricts the performance of actuators, most critically the degrees of freedom of controlled motion. This investigation leads to the development of an adaptive smooth control methodology via nonsingular fast terminal sliding modes. The adaptive smooth control algorithm that was developed for a single-input single-output system is adopted and extended to the relative orbit and attitude control systems of the distributed space telescope. The software simulation is conducted under a real mission, which means the real CubeSat structures, hardware specifications, and operational constraints. The proposed algorithm possesses only seven parameters that can be easily adjusted considering their physical meanings. Furthermore, the pre-designated error bounds are analytically derived, which enhances the applicability of the algorithm to real missions. The simulation compares the efficiency of the adaptive smooth nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode controller with the linear quadratic regulator and proportional derivative algorithms. The results verify that the adaptive smooth nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control algorithm shows better control performance in the perspective of the alignment time and the fuel consumption for the distributed space telescope demonstration mission.