Chaotic attitude motion of a magnetic rigid spacecraft

Chaotic attitude motion of a magnetic rigid spacecraft in a circular orbit of the earth is treated. The dynamical model of the problem was derived from the law of moment of momentum. The Melnikov analysis was carried out to prove the existence of a complicated nonwandering Cantor set. The dynamical behaviors were numerically investigated by means of time history, Poincare map, power spectrum and Liapunov exponents. Numerical simulations indicate that the onset of chaos is characterized by break of torus as the increase of the torque of the magnetic forces.