Optimal Attitude Control for Spacecraft Using Two Variable-Speed Control Moment Gyros

• Published in: TRANSACTIONS OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES, AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY JAPAN Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 371 - 379
• Main Authors: YAMADA, Katsuhiko, HIGASHIYAMA, Daiki, SHOJI, Yasuhiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES 2019; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Angular momentum; Angular speed; Calculus of variations; Chebyshev approximation; Control methods; Dynamic characteristics; Exact solutions; Mathematical analysis; Numerical analysis; Numerical methods; Optimal Control; Spacecraft; Spacecraft attitude control; Spectral methods; Speed control; Trajectories; Trajectory Generation; Variable-Speed Control Moment Gyro
• ISSN: 1884-0485; 1884-0485
• DOI: 10.2322/tastj.17.371

This paper considers a rest-to-rest spacecraft attitude maneuver using two variable-speed control moment gyros. Two methods are used to derive angular momentum and gimbal angles over time subject to physical constraints. The first is an analytical method using variational calculus: from the analytical solution the dynamic characteristics of the attitude maneuver are easily understood and feasible trajectories are derived. The second is a numerical method which uses a Chebyshev pseudospectral method. The maneuvering time is minimized by the numerical method. In this second method, it is difficult to obtain a solution without appropriate initial values. However, a solution can be derived by using an analytical solution as initial values. The analytical and numerical methods are executed in all directions of the attitude maneuver, thus validating the effectiveness of the successful completion of the intended maneuver. Finally, ground experiments are conducted using the optimal trajectories obtained by the numerical method.