Stabilization and optimality results for the attitude control problem

Purpose This paper aims to study the attitude control problem with mutating orbital rate and actuator fading. Design/methodology/approach To avoid malicious physical attacks and hide itself, the spacecraft may irregularly switch its orbit altitude within a specific range, which will bring about variations in orbital rate, thereby causing mutations in the attitude dynamics model. The actuator faults will also cause changes in system dynamics. Both factors affect the control performance. First, this paper determines the potential switching orbits. Then under different conditions, design controllers that can accommodate actuator faults according to the statistical law of actuator fading. Findings This paper, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, introduces the Markovian jump framework to model the possible unexpected mutating of orbital rate and actuator fading of spacecraft and then designs a novel control policy to solve the attitude control problem. Practical implications This paper also provides the algorithm design processes in detail. A comparative numerical simulation is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Originality/value This is an early solution for spacecraft attitude control with dynamics model mutations.

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Rotational and relative translational control for satellite electromagnetic formation flying in low earth orbit

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology ◽

10.1108/aeat-01-2016-0007 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 89 (6) ◽

pp. 815-825 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Li Fan ◽

Min Hu ◽

Mingqi Yang

Keyword(s):

Control Problem ◽

Translational Control ◽

Attitude Control ◽

Formation Flying ◽

Sliding Mode ◽

Large Angle ◽

Translation Control ◽

Nonlinear Controller ◽

Content Type ◽

Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical design for the attitude control of electromagnetic formation flying (EMFF) satellites, present a nonlinear controller for the relative translational control of EMFF satellites and propose a novel method for the allocation of electromagnetic dipoles. Design/methodology/approach The feedback attitude control law, magnetic unloading algorithm and large angle manoeuvre algorithm are presented. Then, a terminal sliding mode controller for the relative translation control is put forward and the convergence is proved. Finally, the control allocation problem of electromagnetic dipoles is formulated as an optimization issue, and a hybrid particle swarm optimization (PSO) – sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm to optimize the free dipoles. Three numerical simulations are carried out and results are compared. Findings The proposed attitude controller is effective for the sun-tracking process of EMFF satellites, and the magnetic unloading algorithm is valid. The formation-keeping scenario simulation demonstrates the effectiveness of the terminal sliding model controller and electromagnetic dipole calculation method. Practical implications The proposed method can be applied to solve the attitude and relative translation control problem of EMFF satellites in low earth orbits. Originality/value The paper analyses the attitude control problem of EMFF satellites systematically and proposes an innovative way for relative translational control and electromagnetic dipole allocation.

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