Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking and Separation
- 1st Edition - September 1, 2026
- Latest edition
- Authors: Keke Shi, Chuang Liu, Xiaokui Yue, Mahe Shu
- Language: English
Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking and Separation in Elliptical Orbits solves problems for spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation control system using different contro… Read more
Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking and Separation in Elliptical Orbits solves problems for spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation control system using different control methods: instead of the widely used proportional–integral–derivative controller or PID control. The book focuses on presenting a variety of control strategies tailored for spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation, accompanied by stability proofs that integrate Lyapunov stability theory with sliding mode theory, LMIs-based theorems, model predictive control theories, reinforcement study theories and other frameworks, so the reader can understand how to handle different kinds of disturbances and perturbations in actual orbiting spacecraft. The book also provides a review of magnetic field, magnetic field force model (both the near-field model and the far-field model), useful lemmas and dynamic modelling methods of spacecraft relative motion, which can serve as first stage analysis for further research and are especially important in the initial design phase of a spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation control system
- A wide variety of novel robust and non-fragile controllers are discussed and against a backdrop of considering various uncertainties, e.g. advanced sliding mode control, observer-based control, model predictive control, reinforcement study-based control and impedance control; these are not only applicable to spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation control, but also easily extendable to a more general class of second-order system with uncertainties and perturbations
- Discusses the mathematical representation of spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation control systems with uncertainties embedded in them leads to a model-like continuous and discrete state-space form which makes the developed controller universal
- Discusses the role, in spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation, of how the control systems in achieving high-precision position and better robustness to external disturbances (plus various uncertainties and gain perturbations) can be achieved
Academic researchers interested in the field of spacecraft dynamics and control or electromagnetic docking and separation control
1 Introduction of basic knowledge
1.1 Basic knowledge of magnetic field
1.1.1 Flux and divergence of vector field
1.1.2 Circulation and curl of vector field
1.1.3 Gauss's theorem for steady magnetic fields and Ampere's circuital law
1.1.4 Magnetic vector potential
1.1.5 Biot-Savart Law
1.1.6 Magnetic field force, magnetic torque, and magnetic moment of a planar current-carrying coil
1.1.7 Magnetic dipole and its potential energy in an external field
1.2 The far-field model of electromagnetic force and moment
1.3 Dynamic model of spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation
1.4 Useful lemmas
1.5 Summary References
2 Coupled Orbit-Attitude Tracking Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Problem formulation
2.2.1 Electromagnetic force model
2.2.2 Electromagnetic torque model
2.3 Orbit-Attitude tracking sliding mode controller design
2.4 Simulation test
2.5 Conclusions References
3 Intermediate Observer-based Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Problem formulation
3.2.1 Dynamic Modelling
3.2.2 Preliminaries
3.2.3 Control Objectives
3.3 Intermediate observer-based controller design
3.4 Simulation test
3.4.1 Intermediate observer-based controller
3.4.2 Disturbance observer-based controller
3.5 Conclusions References
4 Active Disturbance Rejection Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Problem formulation
4.2.1 Dynamic Modeling
4.2.2 Preliminaries
4.2.3 Control Objectives
4.3 IO-based active disturbance rejection controller design
4.4 Simulation test
4.5 Conclusions References
5 Disturbance Observer-based Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Problem formulation
5.3 Disturbance observer-based controller design
5.3.1 DOBC design
5.3.2 LQRC and OSMC formulation
5.4 Simulation test
5.5 Conclusions References
6 Model Predictive Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Problem formulation
6.3 Tube-based model predictive controller design
6.3.1 Design of TMPC
6.3.2 Feasibility Analysis of Algorithm Iterations
6.3.3 Algorithm Stability Analysis
6.4 Simulation test
6.5 Conclusions References
7 Deep Reinforcement Learning-based Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Problem formulation
7.2.1 Description of the Application of DDPG to the Control Problem of On-orbit Electromagnetic Assembly
7.2.2 Dynamics Modelling of the assembly module during the docking process
7.2.3 Static target constraint model
7.3 DDPG-based controller design
7.3.1 Basic introduction of DDPG
7.3.2 Intelligent Control Algorithm Design Based on DDPG
7.4 Simulation test
7.4.1 Module Training and Analysis
7.4.2 Simulation Result Analysis
7.5 Conclusions References
8 Sliding Mode Tracking Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Separation
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Problem formulation
8.2.1 Dynamic modeling
8.2.2 Reference trajectory design
8.2.3 Control objectives
8.3 Improved sliding mode controller design
8.4 Simulation test
8.5 Conclusions References
9 Optimizations-based Impedance Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Separation
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Problem formulation
9.2.1 Dynamics modelling
9.2.2 Time-optimal trajectory design
9.3 Integrated HO-WOA-based impedance controller design
9.3.1 Nonlinear disturbance observer-based impedance control
9.3.2 Integrated HO-WOA design
9.3.3 Impedance parameter optimization with integrated HO-WOA
9.4 Simulation test
9.4.1 Nonlinear disturbance observer-based impedance control
9.4.2 Integrated HO-WOA-based impedance control
9.4.3 Comparison of the two control approaches
9.5 Conclusions References
10 Integrated Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking and Separation
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Hybrid non-fragile disturbance observer and controller design
10.3 Simulation test
10.4 Conclusions References
1.1 Basic knowledge of magnetic field
1.1.1 Flux and divergence of vector field
1.1.2 Circulation and curl of vector field
1.1.3 Gauss's theorem for steady magnetic fields and Ampere's circuital law
1.1.4 Magnetic vector potential
1.1.5 Biot-Savart Law
1.1.6 Magnetic field force, magnetic torque, and magnetic moment of a planar current-carrying coil
1.1.7 Magnetic dipole and its potential energy in an external field
1.2 The far-field model of electromagnetic force and moment
1.3 Dynamic model of spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation
1.4 Useful lemmas
1.5 Summary References
2 Coupled Orbit-Attitude Tracking Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Problem formulation
2.2.1 Electromagnetic force model
2.2.2 Electromagnetic torque model
2.3 Orbit-Attitude tracking sliding mode controller design
2.4 Simulation test
2.5 Conclusions References
3 Intermediate Observer-based Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Problem formulation
3.2.1 Dynamic Modelling
3.2.2 Preliminaries
3.2.3 Control Objectives
3.3 Intermediate observer-based controller design
3.4 Simulation test
3.4.1 Intermediate observer-based controller
3.4.2 Disturbance observer-based controller
3.5 Conclusions References
4 Active Disturbance Rejection Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Problem formulation
4.2.1 Dynamic Modeling
4.2.2 Preliminaries
4.2.3 Control Objectives
4.3 IO-based active disturbance rejection controller design
4.4 Simulation test
4.5 Conclusions References
5 Disturbance Observer-based Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Problem formulation
5.3 Disturbance observer-based controller design
5.3.1 DOBC design
5.3.2 LQRC and OSMC formulation
5.4 Simulation test
5.5 Conclusions References
6 Model Predictive Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Problem formulation
6.3 Tube-based model predictive controller design
6.3.1 Design of TMPC
6.3.2 Feasibility Analysis of Algorithm Iterations
6.3.3 Algorithm Stability Analysis
6.4 Simulation test
6.5 Conclusions References
7 Deep Reinforcement Learning-based Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Problem formulation
7.2.1 Description of the Application of DDPG to the Control Problem of On-orbit Electromagnetic Assembly
7.2.2 Dynamics Modelling of the assembly module during the docking process
7.2.3 Static target constraint model
7.3 DDPG-based controller design
7.3.1 Basic introduction of DDPG
7.3.2 Intelligent Control Algorithm Design Based on DDPG
7.4 Simulation test
7.4.1 Module Training and Analysis
7.4.2 Simulation Result Analysis
7.5 Conclusions References
8 Sliding Mode Tracking Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Separation
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Problem formulation
8.2.1 Dynamic modeling
8.2.2 Reference trajectory design
8.2.3 Control objectives
8.3 Improved sliding mode controller design
8.4 Simulation test
8.5 Conclusions References
9 Optimizations-based Impedance Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Separation
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Problem formulation
9.2.1 Dynamics modelling
9.2.2 Time-optimal trajectory design
9.3 Integrated HO-WOA-based impedance controller design
9.3.1 Nonlinear disturbance observer-based impedance control
9.3.2 Integrated HO-WOA design
9.3.3 Impedance parameter optimization with integrated HO-WOA
9.4 Simulation test
9.4.1 Nonlinear disturbance observer-based impedance control
9.4.2 Integrated HO-WOA-based impedance control
9.4.3 Comparison of the two control approaches
9.5 Conclusions References
10 Integrated Control for Spacecraft Electromagnetic Docking and Separation
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Hybrid non-fragile disturbance observer and controller design
10.3 Simulation test
10.4 Conclusions References
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: September 1, 2026
- Language: English
KS
Keke Shi
Keke Shi is an Associate Professor at Xi’an University of Science and Technology, China. Dr Shi’s research interests include spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation
Affiliations and expertise
Xi’an University of Science and Technology, ChinaCL
Chuang Liu
Chuang Liu is an Associate Professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University, China. He is also Scientific Committee Member of Aeromeet 2022. He received the COSPAR Outstanding Paper Award for Young Scientists in 2020. His research focuses on aerospace engineering.
Affiliations and expertise
Associate Professor, Northwestern Polytechnical University, ChinaXY
Xiaokui Yue
Xiaokui Yue is a Professor at Northwestern Technical University, China. His research has focused on the frontiers of space exploration and on computational methods for nonlinear dynamical systems.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor, Northwestern Technical University, ChinaMS
Mahe Shu
Mahe Shu is a PhD research student at Northwestern Polytechnical University. Research interests include spacecraft electromagnetic docking and separation
Affiliations and expertise
Northwestern Polytechnical University, China