Low Earth Orbit Collision Avoidance with Predictive Control Barrier Function
This video shows a collision avoidance problem where a controlled satellite and a piece of orbital debris are likely to collide, and the controlled satellite needs to determine a control thrust to avoid the collision. We propose using "Predictive Control Barrier Functions" (PCBFs) to encode the safety of the satellite with respect to the debris. In the first sequence, we show how the original satellite trajectory results in a collision. In the second sequence, we apply an ECBF to compute an avoidance maneuver. Finally, in the third sequence, we apply a PCBF to compute an avoidance maneuver, resulting in a much less aggressive control thrust than the ECBF. See also our example on ground vehicles at • Intersection with Predictive Control Barri... .