General method of trajectory design and guidance for fast satellite circumnavigation

Fast circumnavigation is an enabling technology for future on-orbit servicing and operations such as on-orbit inspection and observation in proximity, space objects identification, reconnaissance and surveillance, on-orbit maintenance and emergent situation settlement. In this paper a state transition matrix is introduced, which could be applied to the cases of a target satellite in circular orbit or in elliptical orbit. The state transition matrix is further used to develop the trajectory design and guidance algorithms for enter into circumnavigation, fast circumnavigation and exit circumnavigation based on multiple-impulse maneuver method. Finally the relationships between some circumnavigation parameters and impulse required for fast circumnavigation are analyzed. Simulation works are carried out and the results indicate the proposed methodology of trajectory design and guidance for fast satellite circumnavigation can be used for coplanar or non-coplanar trajectory design and guidance with a target spacecraft in circular or elliptical orbit.