Investigating Satellite Control Algorithms for Formation Flying in Gravity Field Recovery

Satellite formation flying has emerged as a promising approach for high-precision gravity field recovery, complementing and extending the capabilities of double-satellite missions such as GRACE and GRACE-FO. The use of multiple satellites in formations allows for improved spatial and temporal resolution in gravity field recovery and reducing alising effects.

Despite its advantages, maintaining precise satellite formations over long mission durations poses significant challenges. Orbital perturbations, such as atmospheric drag, differential gravitational forces, and solar radiation pressure, can degrade the formation geometry, compromising the accuracy of gravity field measurements.

This study investigates the feasibility and effectiveness of advanced control algorithms for maintaining satellite formations optimized for gravity field recovery.
 
We employ numerical simulations to model a satellite formation in low-Earth orbit. The satellites are configured in optimized formations, such as triangels rotating around a center point, to maximize sensitivity to gravitational variations. Advanced control algorithms are implemented to counteract perturbations and maintain the formation. The performance of these algorithms is evaluated in terms of formation accuracy and robustness to external disturbances.

The presented results represent our current progress in developing control algorithms for satellite formation flying. The study also highlights the sensitivity of formations to perturbations and proposes control schemes.