Sliding Mode Control of Electromagnetic Spacecraft Formation Flying in Near-Earth Orbits

A sliding mode control for six-degree-of-freedom electromagnetic spacecraft formation flying (EMFF) in near-Earth orbits is presented. By using terminal sliding mode technique, the output tracking error can converge to zero in finite time, and strong robustness with respect to disturbance forces can be guaranteed. Illustrative simulations of EMFF are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.