Introduction F ORMATION flight of multiple aircraft has been an active research topic for many years. For the classical lead–follower configuration, when the follower is properly positioned with respect to the lead, the drag on the follower aircraft can be remarkably reduced due to strong wingtip vortices generated by the lead aircraft. Such close-formation flight configurations can lead to red...

The Autonomous Formation Flight (AFF) project at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) investigated performance benefits resulting from formation flight, such as reduced aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption. To obtain data on performance benefits, a trailing F/A-18 airplane flew within the wingtip-shed vortex of a leading F/A-18 airplane. The pilot of the trail airplane ...

Bihrle Applied Research Inc. has developed unique capabilities for investigating the aerodynamic effects on aircraft in close formation. Wind-tunnel experiments were conducted at the Langley Full-Scale Tunnel using special hardware and computer equipment developed specifically for formation testing. It was demonstrated that static and dynamic force and moment data, as well as surface pressure d...

The influences of the leader in a group of V – flight formation are dealt with. The investigation is focused on the effect of its position and shape on aerodynamics performances of a given V – flight formation. Vortices generated the wing tip of the leader moves downstream forming a pair of opposite rotating line vortices. These vortices are generally undesirable because they create a downwash ...

This paper gives a survey of some of the issues involved in formation flight of satellites near a halo orbit. An example of the use of such a formation is to act as a telescope for imaging interesting astronomical objects, such as extra-solar planets. Issues such as formation establishment, stability and dynamics of the formation, control and reconfiguration, coverage analysis, and inter-satell...

Satellites in a formation might need to maneuver to avoid potential collisions that may occur when foreign objects enter the formation, or when a satellite within the formation drifts into the path of another. In either case we seek to determine the probability of a future collision based on current state knowledge and the uncertain dynamic environment, and further to determine a control strate...

Ground-support based satellite health monitoring and fault diagnosis practices involve around-theclock limit-checking and trend analysis on large amount of telemetry data. They do not scale well for future multi-platform space missions due to the size of the telemetry data and an increasing need to make the long-duration missions costeffective by limiting the operations team personnel. To utili...

Agent teaming and autonomy are foundational themes in multi-agent systems. Agents may work as singletons or they may work in environments where other agents exist. In multi-agent systems, agents may form teams by sharing common goals with other agents. Cooperation is essential for any collaborative, group activity. Beyond coordination and judicious role assignment, cooperation enables members o...

Interferometry in space has marked advantages: long integration times and observation in spectral bands where the atmosphere is opaque. When installed on separate spacecraft, it also has extended and flexible baselines for better filling of the uv plane. Intensity interferometry has an additional advantage, being insensitive to telescope and path errors, but is unfortunately much less light-sen...

Electromagnetic formation flight (EMFF) is an enabling technology for a number of spacecraft mission architectures. The RINGS program will be the first time EMFF is demonstrated in a microgravity environment. Nonlinearities due to magnetic field interactions preclude linear feedback controllers from being used to control the RINGS system. Approximate dynamic programming is explored in this pape...