Minimum Time Collision-Free Trajectories for Grabbing a Non-Tumbling Satellite∗∗This paper is based on the MTech Thesis of the first author

• Published in: IFAC-PapersOnLine Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 142 - 147
• Main Authors: Bhargava, T Venkata, Issac, K Kurien
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2016
• Subjects: graph search; minimum time trajectory; path planning; satellite grabbing; path planning; graph search; satellite grabbing; minimum time trajectory
• ISSN: 2405-8963; 2405-8971; 2405-8963
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ifacol.2016.03.043

The problem of grabbing a non-tumbling satellite, addressed in this paper, is split into two subproblems, the first of determining a minimum distance collision-free path from the starting stowed pose of the space manipulator to the grabbing pose, and the second of determining a minimum time motion along this path, subject to speed and torque constraints of the manipulator. The first problem is solved using the well known A∗ algorithm, after posing path planning as a graph search problem. Different types of heuristic functions are used for the graph search, and their influence in finding the solution is discussed. The non-smooth path generated using A∗ algorithm is smoothened, and then minimum time motion subject to constraints is determined by posing it as a nonlinear programming problem and solved using an SQP algorithm. Solutions obtained for three different target satellite poses are discussed.