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arXiv · 2611.02321

Robust Closed-form Framework for Drag-Propulsive Control of Formation Flight

Matthew Hunter·Simone D'Amico
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Abstract

To conserve propellant, Distributed Space Systems (DSS) can leverage environmental forces to produce low cost relative forces, such as atmospheric drag in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This work maximizes this strategy by developing robust, closed-form algorithms for optimal "hybrid" control, defined here as complementing the magnitude and directionality deficiencies of differential drag with the superior control authority of propulsive maneuvers within the same control window. The use of drag introduces a significant source of dynamic uncertainty to the control problem, primarily from inaccurate atmospheric density modelling. This paper develops a robust control architecture that periodically re-solves the remaining drag maneuver plan in a diminishing horizon policy, rejecting operational and navigation errors while retaining the cost savings offered by differential drag. The approach is built upon reachable set theory, a control analysis technique that provides conditions for optimality for Linear Time Variant (LTV) systems with norm-like cost functions and optimally decouples hybrid control into separate propulsive and differential drag sub-problems. The optimality conditions are leveraged to prove the asymptotic Lyapunov stability of ideal reachable set-based control solutions and derive error bounds on this stability. A covariance analysis on the primary sources of error in hybrid control determines that the dominating source of uncertainty is the atmospheric density model. This conclusion allows the bounds on Lyapunov stability to be completely met by simply conditioning the atmospheric density value used in the control solutions. The derived Lyapunov stability bounds and performance of the algorithm are demonstrated experimentally in high fidelity full-force orbital simulations of the upcoming Space Weather Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment (SWARM-EX) mission.

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Matthew Hunter, Simone D'Amico. 2026-11-02. Robust Closed-form Framework for Drag-Propulsive Control of Formation Flight. https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.02321

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