Rendezvous Control of Spacecraft via Constrained Optimal Control Using Generating Functions

Abstract

This paper studies rendezvous control of spacecraft via constrained optimal control using generating functions. The problem of minimum energy control of the spacecraft transiting between specified states with constraints is formalized into the constrained optimal control problem. The generating function approach is extended to such problems by equipping with penalties. Finally, the developed technique is summarized as algorithms to successfully realize optimal rendezvous control with velocity and thrust bounds.