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http://hdl.handle.net/2014/40543
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| Title: | Dynamics of drag free formations in Earth orbit |
| Authors: | Ploen, Scott R.
Hadaegh, Fred.Y.
Acikmese, A. Behcet
Scharf, Daniel P. |
| Keywords: | formation flying
drag-free technology |
| Issue Date: | 8-Nov-2004 |
| Publisher: | Pasadena, CA : Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2004. |
| Citation: | SPIE 4th International Asia-Pacific Environmental Remote Sensing Symposium, Honolulu, Hawaii, November 8, 2004. |
| Abstract: | In this paper the translational equations of motion of a formation of n spacecraft in Earth orbit, nf of which are drag-free spacecraft, are derived in a coordinate-free manner using the balance of linear momentum and direct tensor notation. A drag-free spacecraft consists of a spacecraft bus and a proof mass shielded from external disturbances in an internal cavity. By controlling the spacecraft so that the proof mass remains centered in the cavity, the spacecraft follows a purely gravitational orbit. The results described in this paper provide a first step toward coupling drag-free control technology with formation flying in order to mitigate the effect of differential aerodynamic drag on formation flying missions (e.g., Earth imaging applications) in low Earth orbit. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2014/40543 |
| Appears in Collections: | JPL TRS 1992+
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