Takahiro Ito

In this study the throttled explicit guidance (TEG) scheme is extended to the fuel optimal pinpoint-landing problem under a bounded thrust magnitude. The study provides a review of the fuel-optimal control problem and its solution under a bounded thrust magnitude. It describes the theoretical analysis of the thrust magnitude switching function performed to approximate the function in a simpler form by applying certain reasonable assumptions for a pinpoint landing problem. The study also elaborates the TEG scheme for a bounded thrust magnitude problem and describes the testing of the TEG scheme via simulations for lunar pinpoint landing. In the considered fuel-optimal control problem, it is assumed that the gravity field is uniform, atmospheric effects are negligible, and the final time is free.

© 2019 IAA This paper investigates the launch capability of the SS-520 as a CubeSat launch vehicle. The SS-520 was developed by JAXA originally as a two-stage, spin-stabilized, solid-propellant sounding rocket. With less than 2.6 tons in total mass and 10 m in length, the SS-520-5 successfully launched a single 3U-sized CubeSat into orbit on February 3, 2018. The SS-520-5 obtained its capability as a CubeSat launch vehicle by installing a 3rd stage solid motor in addition to the RCS between the 1st and 2nd stages. However, its launch capability was limited due to its rocket system configuration. In order to pursue the SS-520's launch capability, two effective modifications from the SS-520-5 are proposed: thrust enhancement of the 1st stage motor and installation of an additional RCS between the 2nd and 3rd stages. The framework of launch capability analysis is established by a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA), where its two objectives are selected as the altitudes of perigee and apogee. The analysis reveals that the two proposed modifications to the SS-520-5 work effectively but differently. The 10% increase of the 1st stage enhancement is particularly effective when the target altitude of perigee is low (e.g., 200 km), whereas the installment of the additional RCS with 30 kg increases accessibility to a much higher altitude of perigee, even to circular orbit reaching altitudes of 550 km for a 1U-sized CubeSat and 280 km for a 6U-sized CubeSat. The simultaneous application of both modifications would result in launch capability able to deliver a 10-kg payload. From a more general perspective, the results in this paper suggest that it is possible for a very small launch vehicle (VSLV) of the 3-ton class and 10 m in length to deliver a 10-kg-class payload into low Earth orbit.

© 2018 IAA This study proposes a solar sailing method for angular momentum control of the interplanetary micro-spacecraft PROCYON (PRoximate Object Close flYby with Optical Navigation). The method presents a simple and facile practical application of control during deep space missions. The developed method is designed to prevent angular momentum saturation in that it controls the direction of the angular momentum by using solar radiation pressure (SRP). The SRP distribution of the spacecraft is modeled as a flat and optically homogeneous plate at a shallow sun angle. The method is obtained by only selecting a single inertially fixed attitude with a bias-momentum state. The results of the numerical analysis indicate that PROCYON's angular momentum is effectively controlled in the desired directions, enabling the spacecraft to survive for at least one month without momentum-desaturation operations by the reaction control system and for two years with very limited fuel usage of less than 10 g. The flight data of PROCYON also indicate that the modeling error of PROCYON's SRP distribution is sufficiently small at a small sun angle (<10°) of the order of 10−9 Nm in terms of its standard deviation and enables the direction of the angular momentum around the target to be maintained.