Spacecraft Guidance Algorithms for Asteroid Intercept and Rendezvous Missions

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive review of spacecraft guidance algorithms for asteroid intercept and rendezvous missions. Classical proportional navigation (PN) guidance is reviewed first, followed by pulsed PN guidance, augmented PN guidance, predictive feedback guidance, Lambert guidance, and other guidance laws based on orbit perturbation theory. Optimal feedback guidance laws satisfying various terminal constraints are also discussed. Finally, the zero-effort-velocity (ZEV) error, analogous to the well-known zero-effort-miss (ZEM) distance, is introduced, leading to a generalized ZEM/ZEV guidance law. These various feedback guidance laws can be easily applied to real asteroid intercept and rendezvous missions. However, differing mission requirements and spacecraft capabilities will require continued research on terminal-phase guidance laws.