Tianzhou Cargo Spacecraft All-Phase Autonomous Quick Rendezvous and Docking and In-orbit Realization

This paper presents the all-phase autonomous quick rendezvous and docking technology of Tianzhou cargo spacecraft and its in-orbit flight results. Firstly, the scheme of Tianzhou Cargo Spacecraft all-phase autonomous quick rendezvous and docking is described, which consists of a long-range autonomous guidance phase and a short-range autonomous control phase. Different rendezvous and docking modes can be configured by improving the accuracy of the long-range autonomous guidance terminal, typically the 6.5-hour, 2-hour, and 3-hour quick rendezvous and docking. Secondly, the development of scheme design of Tianzhou cargo spacecraft rendezvous and docking and the evolution process of the in-orbit missions are elaborated. Finally, an overview of the quick rendezvous and docking in-orbit missions of Tianzhou cargo spacecraft is given. The design process and in-orbit performance of Tianzhou cargo spacecraft rendezvous and docking show that its rendezvous and docking technology is constantly evolving toward rapidity, stability, and standardization.