Dynamic-Programming-Based Failure-Tolerant Control for Satellite with Thrusters in 6-DOF Motion

Abstract: In this paper, a dynamic-programming approach to the coupled translational and rotational control of thruster-driven spacecraft is studied. To reduce the complexity of the problem, dynamic-programming-based optimal policies are calculated using decoupled position and attitude dynamics with generalized forces and torques as controls. A quadratic-programming-based control allocation is then used to map the controls to actuator commands. To control the spacecraft in the event of thruster failure, both the dynamic programming policies and control allocation are reconfigured to cope with the losses in controls. The control allocation parameters are adjusted dynamically to ensure the satellite always approaches the target from the side with two operative thrusters to achieve a stable control. The effectiveness of the proposed dynamic programming control is compared with a Lyapunov-stable control method, which shows that the proposed method is more fuel-efficient in tracking the same path.