Automated Rendezvous and Docking of Spacecraft

Formerly Head of the Navigation and Guidance Section of ESA and ESA's leading rendezvous expert, Wigbert Fehse has worked on a large number of high profile international projects including the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) currently under development for the International Space Station.

• Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. The phases of a rendezvous mission; 3. Orbit dynamics and trajectory elements; 4. Approach safety and collision avoidance; 5. The drivers for the approach strategy; 6. The onboard rendezvous control strategy; 7. Sensors for rendezvous navigation; 8. Mating systems; 9. Space- and ground-system setup; 10. Verification and validation; Appendix A. Motion dynamics; Appendix B. Rendezvous strategies of existing vehicles; Appendix C. Rendezvous vehicles of the ISS scenario; Appendix D. Nomenclature.

Review of the hardback: 'This book is described as being the definitive reference for space engineers on all issues related to rendezvous and docking of spacecraft, and I would tend to agree. It draws together a wealth of information on the subject, from basic principles through to detailed examples … Overall, I'm sure the book will become an invaluable reference text for anyone wishing to learn more about spacecraft rendezvous and docking, from students in academia to industry alike. Excellent!' The Aeronautical Journal