Method for Designing Low-Orbit Clusters of Small Satellites Under Stochastic Disturbances

Under the new paradigm of exploration of space, both near and distant, continue using mini-, micro-, nano -, pico satellite armadas or fleets (compound dynamic systems – CDS). These CDS will be arranged in clusters in such a way that clusters made up of an excess of small satellites (mini-, micro-, nano-, pico-satellites) have increased functional stability and the quality of assigned functions. The efficiency of the CDS, consisting of thousands of small satellites (micro-, nano-, pico-satellites) will be determined by how efficiently the clusters of the required configuration are created, held (stabilized) in the created configuration, and reconfigured. Clusters for various practical purposes: communications; telecommunications and global Internet; navigation; monitoring of the Earth’s surface, troposphere, stratosphere, ionosphere and exosphere have specific features. However, the common feature of all specialized clusters – they should be rebuilt (change the spatial topology) in a minimum time and stabilized in a new configuration at rational (preferably with minimal) energy costs. This article is devoted to the development of a method for designing (formation) low-orbit clusters of small satellites with a given spatial topology and stabilization of this topology in terms of rational energy costs under the action of stochastic disturbances. The method consists in the synthesis of control actions that are technically easy to implement using the small satellites’ onboard hardware. Control actions allow to form a low-orbit cluster satellite (LCS) in a minimum amount of time and to keep the LCS in a configuration that differs little from the required.