Combined control of fast attitude maneuver and stabilization for large complex spacecraft

In remote sensing or laser communication space missions, spacecraft need fast maneuver and fast stabilization in order to accomplish agile imaging and attitude tracking tasks. However, fast attitude maneuvers can easily cause elastic deformations and vibrations in flexible appendages of the spacecraft. This paper focuses on this problem and deals with the combined control of fast attitude maneuver and stabilization for large complex spacecraft. The mathematical model of complex spacecraft with flexible appendages and momentum bias actuators on board is presented. Based on the plant model and combined with the feedback controller, modal parameters of the closed-loop system are calculated, and a multiple mode input shaper utilizing the modal information is designed to suppress vibrations. Aiming at reducing vibrations excited by attitude maneuver, a quintic polynomial form rotation path planning is proposed with constraints on the actuators and the angular velocity taken into account. Attitude maneuver simulation results of the control systems with input shaper or path planning in loop are separately analyzed, and based on the analysis, a combined control strategy is presented with both path planning and input shaper in loop. Simulation results show that the combined control strategy satisfies the complex spacecraft’s requirement of fast maneuver and stabilization with the actuators’ torque limitation satisfied at the same time.