Autonomous separation strategies for in-orbit stacked satellites

The multi-satellite launch mode is increasingly adopted in space missions. As the last stage of a rocket launch mission, multisatellite separation influences the success of the launch mission. An efficient autonomous separation strategy for in-orbit stacked satellites of 12 satellites in one launch vehicle is proposed in this paper. According to rigid-body dynamics, the dynamic equations of satellite separation are derived, and its dynamic model is established using software ADAMS. Three separation schemes are proposed for the multi-satellite separation in terms of initial spin angular velocity, mass eccentricity, and spring forces applied between satellite layers. The feasibilities and effectiveness of these schemes are evaluated by performing parametric studies.