Global Stabilization of Linearized Spacecraft Rendezvous System by Saturated Linear Feedback

The problem of global stabilization of the circular orbit spacecraft rendezvous system subject to actuator saturation is studied in this brief. Based on the linearized Clohessy-Wiltshire equations, a class of saturated linear state feedback controllers is designed by utilizing Lyapunov functions that are frequently used in the absolute stability theory. The global stability of the closed-loop system with the proposed saturated linear feedback is proved by providing explicit conditions on the parameters in the feedback gains. Optimal linear feedback gains are also discussed. The most significant advantages of the proposed controllers are that the controllers are linear and the global stability of the resulting closed-loop system can be guaranteed. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.