RESEARCH ON ORBIT TRANSFER VEHICLE BASED ON A NEW PRINCIPLE

为实现基于滚筒式轨道转移原理的新型空间轨道转移飞行器（OTV），进行了理论研究和实验飞行器仿真。OTV在捕获客户卫星后，通过激活其推进器将其转移到新的轨道上。接受调查的OTV在捕获客户卫星时使用长臂，或在捕获后延长其手臂。推力在垂直于手臂的方向上施加，在手臂的一端。这种机动引起旋转运动，以及线速度增量，使系统进入过渡轨道。通过在指令选定的时刻分离卫星，两个末端质量通过额外的旋转速度被送入不同的轨道。理论仿真证实了这种面外转移方式的有效性，并在前期研究中证实了面内转移的机动效果。实验车辆通过空气轴承和使用压缩空气的推力器使其悬浮在实验室地板上自由运动。加速度计和陀螺仪为姿态/位置确定和控制提供数据。在空气和电力脐带缆的限制下，车辆被证实以非常小的阻力移动。经过一系列不同配置的实验，通过增加压缩气源为推进器独立供气达到了最佳配置。本研究建立了验证新型轨道转移飞行器的单元技术。剩下的任务是将理论研究得出的控制算法与实验车辆相结合。

Theoretical investigations and simulation through experimental vehicle were conducted for the purpose of realizing a novel orbit transfer vehicle (OTV) in space, based on the tumble orbit transfer principle.OTV transfers a customer satellite into a new orbit by activating its thrusters after capturing the satellite. The OTV under the investigation utilizes a long arm in capturing the customer satellite, or extends its arm after the capture. The thrust is applied in a direction perpendicular to the arm, at one end of the arm. This maneuver causes rotational motion, as well as linear velocity increment, which puts the system into a transition orbit. By separating the satellite at a selected moment on command, the two end masses are put into different orbits by additional velocities of rotation. Out of plane transfer in this manner was confirmed effective by theoretical simulation, in addition to inplane transfer maneuver effects which had been confirmed in earlier investigation.The experimental vehicle makes a free motion on a laboratory floor by levitation by air bearings and thrusters using compressed air. Accelerometers and gyros provide data for attitude/position determination and control. Within the limit of air and electrical umbilicals, the vehicle was confirned to move with very small resistance. After a series of experiments with various configurations, the best configuration was reached by adding compressed air sources for supplying air independently to the thrusters.The present research established element technologies to verify the novel orbit transfer vehicle. The remaining task is to combine control algorithm derived by the theoretical investigation into the experimental vehicle.