Thruster Pointing Constrained Fuel Optimal 6-DOF Proximity Operations using Indirect Methods

Thruster Pointing Constrained Fuel Optimal 6-DOF Proximity Operations using Indirect Methods | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Thruster Pointing Constrained Fuel Optimal 6-DOF Proximity Operations using Indirect Methods Himmat Panag, Ruthvik Bommena, Robyn Woollands This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7243330/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Future space missions, such as in-space telescope assembly and on-orbit servicing, require rendezvous and proximity operations that avoid thruster-induced contamination and plume impingement on sensitive components of the client spacecraft. In this paper, we introduce a novel thruster pointing constraint into the six degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) optimal rendezvous problem and solve it using indirect techniques. A thruster pointing constraint limits the angular range over which a spacecraft's thrusters may operate, thereby avoiding plume contamination while still minimizing the desired objection function (e.g. fuel consumption or time-of-flight). By embedding this constraint directly into the dynamical model, our solution method eliminates the need for prior knowledge of the burn sequence or the precise times at which the constraint transitions to active/inactive. The spacecraft's 6-DOF motion is controlled by a set of fixed translational thrusters and an attitude control system that can provide instantaneous torque. Our solution method is demonstrated for an orbit rendezvous problem considering the Clohessy-Wiltshire relative dynamics for the translational motion and modified Rodrigues parameters for the attitude motion. A validation is presented through comparison with solutions to the simpler 3DOF problem. plume impingement satellite servicing Indirect methods mixed control state inequality constraints thruster direction constraints Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7243330","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":499590976,"identity":"36bf90ee-04ab-4785-b7a3-ce6b658de482","order_by":0,"name":"Himmat Panag","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA3klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwhlI8fGztxwgIFBAkkQv5Y0YzZmRtK0HE5sAGpBE8QBzKWbnz348Ys5vY+ZsfFwQYWFPQN78zYJfFos5xwzN+ztY8ttA9pyeMYZicQGnmNleLUY3Egwk+Dt4YFo4W2TSGCQyDEjoCX9m+TfHol0NqgWewb5N4S05JhJ8/wwSIBpYWyQ4CGg5c6ZMmnZhgRDsMN4gH5p40krtsCr5Xb7Nsk3f/7Ly7c3H/7MU1Fnz89+eOMNfFrAccfYhiTAhlc5TAvDH4LKRsEoGAWjYCQDAK7rRGvP5FnRAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Himmat","middleName":"","lastName":"Panag","suffix":""},{"id":499590977,"identity":"f9cd3b00-0878-4d4e-977b-e91f50d4f4c2","order_by":1,"name":"Ruthvik Bommena","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ruthvik","middleName":"","lastName":"Bommena","suffix":""},{"id":499590978,"identity":"1d81c47c-2d37-41bd-8267-c7120a0b68ba","order_by":2,"name":"Robyn Woollands","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Robyn","middleName":"","lastName":"Woollands","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-29 12:38:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7243330/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7243330/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40295-026-00572-4","type":"published","date":"2026-03-02T15:59:50+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104250842,"identity":"69d2b4b4-1a8a-4bf3-bea6-617fcd7d4573","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-09 16:09:51","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3663120,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"JAS6DOFSphericalConstrained.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7243330/v1_covered_8dfead92-066c-41c8-b834-640ab42a8c90.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Thruster Pointing Constrained Fuel Optimal 6-DOF Proximity Operations using Indirect Methods","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"plume impingement, satellite servicing, Indirect methods, mixed control state inequality constraints, thruster direction constraints","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7243330/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7243330/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Future space missions, such as in-space telescope assembly and on-orbit servicing, require rendezvous and proximity operations that avoid thruster-induced contamination and plume impingement on sensitive components of the client spacecraft. 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