Recent space missions rely more and more on the cooperation between different spacecraft in order to achieve a desired objective. Among the spacecraft proximity operations, the orbital rendezvous is a classical example that has generated a large amount of studies since the beginning of the space exploration. However, the motivations and objectives for the proximity operations have considerably changed. The need for higher autonomy, better security and lower costs prompts for the development of new guidance and control algorithms. The presence of different types of constraints and physical limitations also contributes to the increased complexity of the problem. In this challenging context, this dissertation represents a contribution to the development of new spacecraft guidance and control algorithms. The works presented in this dissertation are based on a structural analysis of the spacecraft relative dynamics. Using a simp! lified model, a new set of parametric expressions is developed for the relative motion. This parametrization is very well suited for the analysis of the geometric properties of periodic relative trajectories and for handling different types of state constraints. A formal connection is evidenced between the set of parameters that define constrained trajectories and the cone of positive semi-definite matrices. This result is exploited in the design of spacecraft relative trajectories for proximity operations, in the impulsive control framework. The resulting guidance algorithms enable the guaranteed continuous constraints satisfaction, while still relying on semi-definite programming tools. The problem of the robustness of the computed maneuvers with respect to navigation uncertainties is also addressed.
