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Modern Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control

From System Modeling to AI and Innovative Applications

  • 1st Edition - November 13, 2022
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Vincenzo Pesce, Andrea Colagrossi, Stefano Silvestrini
  • Language: English

Modern Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control: From System Modeling to AI and Innovative Applications provides a comprehensive foundation of theory and applications of spacec… Read more

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Description

Modern Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control: From System Modeling to AI and Innovative Applications provides a comprehensive foundation of theory and applications of spacecraft GNC, from fundamentals to advanced concepts, including modern AI-based architectures with focus on hardware and software practical applications. Divided into four parts, this book begins with an introduction to spacecraft GNC, before discussing the basic tools for GNC applications. These include an overview of the main reference systems and planetary models, a description of the space environment, an introduction to orbital and attitude dynamics, and a survey on spacecraft sensors and actuators, with details of their modeling principles. Part 2 covers guidance, navigation, and control, including both on-board and ground-based methods. It also discusses classical and novel control techniques, failure detection isolation and recovery (FDIR) methodologies, GNC verification, validation, and on-board implementation. The final part 3 discusses AI and modern applications featuring different applicative scenarios, with particular attention on artificial intelligence and the possible benefits when applied to spacecraft GNC. In this part, GNC for small satellites and CubeSats is also discussed.

Modern Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control: From System Modeling to AI and Innovative Applications

is a valuable resource for aerospace engineers, GNC/AOCS engineers, avionic developers, and AIV/AIT technicians.

Key features

  • Provides an overview of classical and modern GNC techniques, covering practical system modeling aspects and applicative cases
  • Presents the most important artificial intelligence algorithms applied to present and future spacecraft GNC
  • Describes classical and advanced techniques for GNC hardware and software verification and validation and GNC failure detection isolation and recovery (FDIR)

Readership

Aerospace engineers, GNC/AOCS engineers, avionic developers, AIV/AIT technicians

Table of contents

Part 0 - Introduction

1. Introduction
Modern spacecraft GNC: what, why, how, for whom?
A brief historical review of classical spacecraft GNC
GNC terminology
GNC architecture: from requirements to preliminary design
List of acronyms
References

Part 1 - Fundamental GNC Tools

2. Reference systems and planetary models
Earth and planetary models
Coordinate reference systems
Coordinate transformations
Time
What is relevant for GNC?
References

3. The space environment
Perturbation sources
External perturbations
External perturbations modeling guidelines
Internal perturbations
Internal perturbations modeling guidelines
What is it relevant for GNC?
References

4. Orbital dynamics

Two-body problem
Three-body problem
Irregular solar system bodies
Relative orbital dynamics
References
Further reading

5. Attitude dynamics
Attitude kinematics
Attitude dynamics
Three-body problem attitude dynamics
Relative attitude dynamics
Multibody spacecraft dynamics
References
Further reading

6. Sensors
Sensor modeling for GNC
Sensor faults
Orbit sensors
Attitude sensors
Inertial sensors
Electro-optical sensors
Altimeters
References

7. Actuators
Actuator modeling for GNC
Thrusters
Reaction wheels
Control moment gyros
Magnetorquers
References

Part 2 - Spacecraft GNC

8. Guidance
What is guidance?
On-board versus ground-based guidance
Guidance applications
Guidance implementation best practices
References

9. Navigation
What is navigation?
On-board versus ground-based navigation
Sequential filters
Batch estimation
Absolute orbit navigation
Absolute attitude navigation
Relative navigation
Image processing techniques
Navigation budgets
Navigation implementation best practices
References

10. Control
What is control?
Control design
Review of control methods
Control budgets
Control implementation best practices
References

11. FDIR development approaches in space systems
FDIR in space missions, terms, and definitions
Current FDIR system development process and industrial practices
FDIR system hierarchical architecture and operational concepts
FDIR system implementation in European space missions
FDIR system verification and validation approach
FDIR concept and functional architecture in GNC applications
References

12. GNC verification and validation
Why is it important?
Statistical methods
MIL test
SIL/PIL test
HIL test
In-orbit test
References
Further reading

13. On-board implementation
Spacecraft avionics
On-board processing avionics
On-board implementation alternatives
On-board implementation and verification
References

Part 3 - AI & Modern Applications

14. Applicative GNC cases and examples
AOCS design
Orbital control system
Attitude control system
Relative GNC
On-board sensor processing
Irregular solar system bodies fly around
GNC for planetary landing
References

15. Modern spacecraft GNC
AI in space
Artificial intelligence and navigation
Validation of AI-based systems
Reinforcement learning
AI use cases
AI on-board processors
Innovative techniques for highly autonomous FDIR in GNC applications
Small satellites/CubeSats
References
Further reading

Appendices

16. Mathematical and geometrical rules
Matrix algebra
Vector identities
Quaternion algebra
Basics of statistics
ECI-ECEF transformation
References

17. Dynamical systems theory
State-space models
Discrete-time systems
Transfer functions
References

18. Autocoding best practices
List of main architectural and implementation rules
References

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: November 13, 2022
  • Language: English

About the editors

VP

Vincenzo Pesce

Dr. Vincenzo Pesce is a GNC Engineer at Airbus D&S Advanced Studies Department in Toulouse, France. His current research interests include autonomous GNC for proximity operations, rendezvous and landing, vision-based navigation, and GNC innovative methods.
Affiliations and expertise
GNC Engineer, Airbus D&S Advanced Studies Department, Toulouse, France.

AC

Andrea Colagrossi

Dr. Andrea Colagrossi is an assistant professor of Flight Mechanics at the Aerospace Science and Technology Department of Politecnico di Milano. His main research interests are spacecraft GNC and system engineering for advanced small satellite applications, with a focus on effective GNC implementation with limited hardware resources, innovative GNC techniques, and autonomous failure and contingency modes management.
Affiliations and expertise
Assistant professor, Aerospace Science and Technology Department, Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

SS

Stefano Silvestrini

Dr. Stefano Silvestrini is a post-doctoral researcher at the Aerospace Science and Technology Department of Politecnico di Milano. His research interests include the development of Artificial Intelligence algorithms for autonomous GNC in distributed space systems and proximity operations, particularly tailored for embedded applications in small platforms.
Affiliations and expertise
Post-doctoral researcher, Aerospace Science and Technology Department, Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

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