Adaptive Nonlinear Control of Multiple Spacecraft Formation Flying

This paper considers the problem of relative position control for multiple spacecraft formation flying. Specifically, the full nonlinear dynamics describing the relative positioning of multiple spacecraft formation flying are used to develop a Lyapunov-based, nonlinear, adaptive control law that guarantees global asymptotic convergence of the position tracking error in the presence of unknown, constant, or slow-varying spacecraft masses, disturbance forces, and gravity forces. Simulation results are included to illustrate the controller performance.