Optimal Formation Flying Reconfiguration and Station Keeping Maneuvers Using Low Thrust Propulsion

In this work both reconfiguration and station keeping maneuvers of spacecraft flying in formation with low-thrust propulsion has been faced. The aim is the development of a real-time control strategy that reduces the propellant fraction required for these maneuvers. First a method to generate the optimal trajectories has been developed using a direct approach and a simplified model of the relative dynamics with respect to elliptic reference orbits, then the same method has been applied to control the maneuvers. Finally simulations considering a complete model have been carried out for different test cases