A model of relative position and attitude in a leader-follower spacecraft formation

Abstract

In this paper, a model of a leader-follower spacecraft formation in six degrees of freedom is derived and presented. The nonlinear model describes the relative translational and rotational motion of the spacecraft, and extends previous work by providing a more complete factorization, together with detailed information about the matrices in the model. In addition, mathematical models of orbital perturbations due to gravitational variations, atmospheric drag, solar radiation and third-body effects are derived. Results from simulations are presented to visualize the properties of the model and to show the impact of the different disturbances on the flight path.