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Systematic design methods of robust and structured controllers for satellites

Application to the refinement of Rosetta’s orbit controller

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Abstract

In this paper, the capability of nonsmooth optimisation techniques to solve complex control problems with implementation issues is addressed. \(\mathcal {H}_{\infty }/ \mu\) design methods are analysed to enhance the current Airbus Defence and Space industrial development process. In the first instance, a reference \(\mu\)-synthesis controller that achieves the desired robust performance level is designed. Second, a controller obeying the same initial design objectives is synthesized using a predefined fixed structure and order. This time, the controller is realised using a fixed-structure-based \(\mu\)-synthesis approach involving a nonsmooth optimisation algorithm provided in the Matlab R2011b Robust Control Toolbox. Finally, a practical structured \(\mathcal {H}_{\infty }\) multi-model approach closer to Airbus Defence and Space development practices is proposed. The different methodologies are applied to synthesize the Chemical Station Keeping controllers of a flexible Eurostar E3000 satellite and a comparative performance robustness analysis is provided. Hinfstruct has now been established in the Airbus Defence and Space industrial process. Recently, it has been successfully used to rapidly refine the orbit controller of Rosetta Space Probe before the critical rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. A specific section will be devoted on this point and in-flight data will be presented.

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Notes

  1. On the illustrations, the thrusters 9/10/11/12 are referred by 21/22/23/24 respectively.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this technical work from the French and European Space Agencies (CNES-Toulouse, ESA-Noordjwick) are gratefully acknowledged. The authors would like to thank the authors of the Mathworks Robust Control Toolbox for their valuable works on the development of Hinfstruct solver which significantly allowed to improve Airbus Defence and Space industrial tuning process of controllers. Finally, the European Space Operations Center (ESOC) is greatly acknowledged for a fruitflul collaboration in validating the updated orbit controller of Rosetta and for permitting the publication of telemetric data. Finally, the authors would like to dedicate this work to Garry Balas for its inestimable contributions to the robust control community.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Airbus Defence and Space, 31 rue des cosmonautes, 31402, Toulouse, France

    Alexandre Falcoz, Anne Guignard, Cedric Bayart & Benoit Frapard

  2. CNES, Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France

    Christelle Pittet

  3. ESA-ESTEC, 2201 AZ, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

    Samir Bennani

Authors
  1. Alexandre Falcoz
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  2. Christelle Pittet
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  3. Samir Bennani
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  4. Anne Guignard
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  5. Cedric Bayart
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  6. Benoit Frapard
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexandre Falcoz.

Additional information

This paper is based on a presentation at the 9th International Conference on Guidance, Navigation and Control Systems, June 2–6, 2014, Porto, Portugal.

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Falcoz, A., Pittet, C., Bennani, S. et al. Systematic design methods of robust and structured controllers for satellites. CEAS Space J 7, 319–334 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-015-0099-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-015-0099-8

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