Distributed coordinated formation control of multiple spacecraft with and without velocity measurements

The coordinated formation control problem for multiple spacecraft regarding formation maneuvers is addressed in this paper. Motivated by recent developments of consensus algorithms, a formation-keeping controller is presented by looking into local information exchange among formation flying spacecraft and by choosing proper states on which consensus is reached. Then, with the use of consensus algorithms combined with behavior-based control, a distributed full-state feedback coordinated formation controller, requiring both position and velocity measurements, is proposed in order to achieve both goals of formation maneuvering and formation keeping during transition. Further, passive filters are employed to design an output feedback coordinated formation controller without velocity measurements. Numerous simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes.