Adaptive nonlinear control of multiple spacecraft formation flying

This paper considers the problem of relative position control for multiple spacecraft formation Eying. Specifically, the full nonlinear dynamics descr ibing the relative positioning of multiple spacecraft formation Eying are u sed to develop a Lyapunov-based, nonlinear, adaptive control law that guara ntees global asymptotic convergence of the position tracking error in the p resence of unknown, constant, or slow-varying spacecraft masses, disturbanc e forces, and gravity forces. Simulation results are included to illustrate the controller performance.