Abstract:A novel formation control algorithm is introduced to address the formation control problem of multi-spacecraft systems with parameter uncertainties under directed switching graphs, employing a model-referenced adaptive consensus approach. Firstly, a reference model is devised for the multi-spacecraft formation system with a switching directed graph. This reference model takes into account the formation error and absolute velocity of spacecraft as inputs. Subsequently, an adaptive control algorithm is designed for each spacecraft to track the output of the reference model. Adaptive laws are incorporated to estimate the spacecraft's mass, thereby addressing the issue of unknown spacecraft mass. Finally, a numerical simulation is conducted on a formation system comprising six spacecraft, demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed algorithm in ensuring spacecraft convergence to the desired formation under directed switching graphs.