Ballistic analysis of fast scheme for rendezvous between transport vehicles and the international space station

Аuthors

Dzesov R. A.^*, Zhukov V. N.^**, Melnikov E. K.^***, Pavlov V. P.^****

Central Research Institute of Machine Building, 4, Pionerskaya st., Korolev, Moscow region, 141070, Russia

*e-mail: roldzesov@mail.com
**e-mail: vzh@mcc.rsa.ru
***e-mail: bno@mcc.rsa.ru
****e-mail: controversialist@list.ru

Abstract

Ballistic analysis of the four-revolution scheme of the rendezvous between transport vehicles (TV) Progress and Soyuz and the International Space Station (ISS) was carried out.
In the case of four-revolution scheme the ISS/Earth/ TV phase angle stays in the range of 20-40 degrees by the time of rendezvous orbit generation. For this purpose, before TV is launched ISS working orbit is built by means of a few maneuvers. The latest ISS orbit correction is performed about 1-2 weeks before TV launch in order to minimize the atmospheric model errors, geomagnetic and solar activity fluctuations and the space debris collision probability.
The first two impulses which provide for the required rendezvous conditions are implemented after TV launch between the 1st and 2nd orbits beyond Russian ground facilities visibility zone. These impulses are calculated using the nominal entry conditions 1 day before launch and are sent to TV prior to launch.
Due to launch errors the 3 rd and 4 th impulses are implemented on the 2nd and 3rd orbits, in order to compensate for revolution period T, LAN Ω and inclination errors. According to the statistics of 45 launches within the period of 04/07/2007 through 10/ 31/2012 the actual errors were as follows: ó_T= (5.161+3.736) s, óΩ = (1.1+0.7)·10-3 radian, ó_i= (3.6+1.8)·10-4 radian.
The satellite navigation system onboard TV allows to form the required orbit without the 3rd and 4th impulses. Flight tests of this system are planned to be performed in 2015 onboard Progress M-26.
The 3rd and 4th correction burns are calculated onboard basing on the state vector obtained by ground stations at the beginning of the 1st orbit and on the magnitudes of the 1st and 2nd burns. TV and ISS state vectors and information about solar and geomagnetic activity indexes are uplinked in the visible zone of the 2nd orbit.
Final decision about the autonomous approach or transition to the two days rendezvous is made basing on the telemetry data of the 3rd orbit.
Since there is no onboard navigation system, the orbit determination accuracy is calculated basing on the KAMA measuring system information. A priori and a posteriori calculations show that the errors in aiming point, selected on the 4th orbit, do not exceed 80 km by 3 ó along the orbit.
Successful docking of 5 Progress and 4 Soyuz vehicles allow to make a conclusion that the 4th orbit rendezvous scheme can be adopted as a nominal one.

Keywords:

transport cargo vehicle, transport piloted vehicle, command and measuring system, orbit parametrs, phasins orbit

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