Periodic Trajectory of Relative Motion Controlled by Constant Thrust

Formation flying has received widespread attention in recent years. However, the conventional control approaches require high demand for engine. To deal with this problem, the relative periodic trajectory can be achieved by multiple two-section constant thrust control proposed in this study. Firstly, the concept of the constant thrust control is presented. Furthermore, the strategy is presented to guarantees periodic trajectory considering J2 perturbation. Simulations are conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the method. The proposed control approach is applied for engineering applications.