Impulsive Relative Motion Control with Continuous-Time Constraint Satisfaction for Cislunar Space Missions

Abstract: Recent investments in cislunar applications open new frontiers for space missions within highly nonlinear dynamical regimes. In this paper, we propose a method based on Sequential Convex Programming (SCP) to loiter around a given target with impulsive actuation while satisfying path constraints continuously over the finite time-horizon, i.e., independently of the number of nodes in which domain is discretized. Location, timing, magnitude, and direction of a fixed number of impulses are optimized in a model predictive framework, exploiting the exact nonlinear dynamics of non-stationary orbital regimes. The proposed approach is first validated on a relative orbiting problem with respect to a selenocentric near rectilinear halo orbit. The approach is then compared to a formulation with path constraints imposed only at nodes and with mesh refined to ensure complete satisfaction of path constraints over the continuous-time horizon. CPU time per iteration of 400 ms for the refined-mesh approach reduce to 5.5 ms for the proposed approach.