Autonomous obstacle avoidance strategies in the mission of large space debris removal using potential function

• Published in: Advances in space research Vol. 72; no. 7; pp. 2860 - 2873
• Main Authors: Wang, Chuangge, Chen, Danhe, Liao, Wenhe, Liang, Zhenhua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.10.2023
• Subjects: Collision avoidance; Debris removal; Dynamic obstacles; Potential function; Static obstacles; Dynamic obstacles; Potential function; Debris removal; Collision avoidance; Static obstacles
• ISSN: 0273-1177; 1879-1948
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2022.04.013

Debris removal problem has become a consensus of international communities with the dramatically increase of space debris. When the service spacecraft (Servicer) carries out debris removal operations, there may exist collision threaten from other small objects which fly around the target debris. In this paper, autonomous collision avoidance strategies using improved potential function are studied, which drive the Servicer to rendezvous with the large debris and avoid obstacles around the trajectory. Firstly, the repulsive potential for static obstacles is constructed based on the relative position vector. Considering the necessary of avoidance of dynamic obstacles, the relative velocity vector between the Servicer and dynamic obstacles in space is introduced to design the repulsive potential for dynamic obstacles. Also, the corresponding control law is derived to drive the Servicer to approach the large debris. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to validate the effectiveness and stability of the obstacle avoidance strategy for debris removal.