MPC for Tracking applied to rendezvous with non-cooperative tumbling targets ensuring stability and feasibility

A Model Predictive Controller for Tracking is introduced for rendezvous with non-cooperative tumbling targets in active debris removal applications. The target's three-dimensional non-periodic rotational dynamics as well as other state and control constraints are considered. The approach is based on applying an intermediate coordinate transformation that eliminates the time-dependency due to rotations in the constraints. The control law is then found as the solution to a QP problem with linear constraints and dynamics, as derived from the HCW equations, that provides feasibility and stability guarantees by means of a terminal LQR and dead-beat region. The proposed control algorithm performs well in a realistic simulation scenario, namely a near rendezvous with the Envisat spacecraft.