Safe Guidance for Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking with a Non-Cooperative Target

The problem of autonomous rendezvous and docking with a non-cooperative target spacecraft is studied in this paper. A new guidance control method, potential function guidance combined with fuzzy logic, is proposed. This method satisfies safe approaching constraints between the chaser and the non-cooperative target and the stability of the system is guaranteed by Lyapunov theory. In this method, the relative motion equations of state are described in a line-of-sight coordinate frame. Artificial potential function guidance is utilized for approaching the non-cooperative target and two cases of dynamic obstacle avoidance. The validity of the proposed method is demonstrated by intensive simulation studies, where the dynamic obstacle avoidance and safe approaching path are investigated in detail.

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