Adaptive robust attitude control of a flexible spacecraft

Abstract

A new attitude control strategy for rotational manoeuvre of an elastic spacecraft is presented. Adaptive sliding mode control with hybrid sliding surface (HSS) is used to minimize the effects of uncertainties, disturbances and the difficulties arising from measurement of flexible dynamic co-ordinates. The model of the spacecraft considered as rigid central hub and two elastic appendages. Collocated actuators and sensors are placed on the rigid central hub. Stability proof of the overall closed-loop system is given via Lyapunov analysis. Numerical simulations show that the attitude manoeuvres can be performed precisely and the elastic deformations of the flexible substructures are suppressed as well. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.