The thesis explores designing an attitude and orbital control system for an autonomous 6U CubeSat near-Earth asteroid fly-by mission, aiming to conceptualize an off-the-shelf solution. It addresses selecting propulsion systems for interplanetary travel, reaction wheel desaturatio
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The thesis explores designing an attitude and orbital control system for an autonomous 6U CubeSat near-Earth asteroid fly-by mission, aiming to conceptualize an off-the-shelf solution. It addresses selecting propulsion systems for interplanetary travel, reaction wheel desaturation, and attitude control during the mission.
Through a fuel-efficient trajectory optimization simulation, the ThrustMe NPT30-I2 gridded-ion thruster was identified as a feasible solution for interplanetary travel. For reaction wheel desaturation, the GomSpace Nanoprop CGP3 warm gas propulsion system was found to be feasible.
The ClydeSpace iADCS400 attitude determination and control system, combined with the Nanoprop CGP3 and a Lyapunov control controller and a linear quadratic regulator controller, were simulated for the different mission segments, showing that the complete system design meets the mission requirements.
Overall, this thesis provides a starting point for standardization of these systems for future missions, with potential applications for scientific exploration, planetary protection, and resource utilization.
