Fuel-efficient interferometric imaging maneuvers in near-Earth orbit
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In this paper, a methodology to design fuel-efficient maneuvers for space-based interferometric imaging systems located in near-Earth orbits, under time and imaging constraints, is proposed. The methodology is hierarchical and consists of a higher-level nonlinear programming problem and a lower-level linear quadratic tracker. Solutions are obtained for the purpose of quantifying the relationship between the quality of an image obtained by a multispacecraft interferometric imaging system and the dynamic requirements of such imaging maneuvers. These maneuvers are then used for the design of a system capable of obtaining very-high-resolution images from a near-Earth orbital location. To relate the fuel requirements with image quality, the relationship between the imaging process and the error in the final image is studied, and a quality factor is designed to relate the reliability of an image to the trajectory of the spacecraft and, hence, the fuel usage. As an application, a midinfrared imager system located at geostationary orbit is studied and features of the design of such maneuvers are enumerated. Copyright 2008 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.
