Four simulation testbeds
have been developed to date. The Formation Algorithm
and Control Testbed (FACT) and the StarLight Control & Analysis
Simulation Testbed (CAST) demonstrated the Leader/
Follower formation control architecture and a hybrid
formation guidance architecture. The FACT also demonstrated
formation rotation guidance for synthetic aperture
imaging. The CAST additionally demonstrated collision
avoidance during reconfiguration and formation actuator
synchronization during interferometric science observations.
The FACT and CAST are based in Matlab and C environments,
respectively. Both simulation testbeds address small,
deep space formations.
The Formation Initialization Testbed was developed
specifically to demonstrate the scaleable, guaranteed
formation initialization algorithm developed by the
DST Formation Control Task. This initialization algorithm
is applicable to arbitrarily-sized deep space formations.
The testbed resides in a Matlab environment.
Finally, the Formation Algorithms and Simulation
Testbed (FAST) has demonstrated for the first time
two-spacecraft precision formation flying in a distributed,
real time simulation environment. The FAST has begun
to address such distributed spacecraft issues as
communication latency, limited computational power,
and compartmentalized information (each spacecraft
has its own flight processor and simulation processor:
information can only be exchanged via flight-like
interfaces). The FAST is co-developed with the Code
S Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) mission. |