Automatic Space Rendezvous and Docking using Second Order Sliding Mode Control

This chapter presents a Higher Order Sliding Mode (HOSM) Control for automatic docking between two space vehicles. The problem considered requires controlling the vehicles’ relative position and relative attitude. This type of problem is generally addressed using optimal control techniques that are, unfortunately, not robust. The combination of optimum control and Higher Order Sliding Mode Control provides quasi-optimal robust solutions. Control of attitude includes a receiver vehicle passive mode option where the pursuing vehicle controls the relative attitude using the active pixels of a camera viewing a network of lights placed on the receiving vehicle, which by sharing considerable commonality with manual operations allows possible human involvement in the docking process.