JAS 1099 Tracking Rigid Body Motion Using Thrusters and Momentum Wheels

Tracking control laws are developed for a rigid spacecraft using both thrusters and momentum wheels. The model studied comprises a rigid body with external thrusters and with rigid axisymmetric wheels controlled by axial torques. Modified Rodrigues parameters (MRPs) are used to describe the kinematics. The thruster torques and the axial motor torques are computed to track given attitude motions, using the angular velocity error and MRP error to develop linear and nonlinear control laws. Three different controllers are developed. The first controller uses thruster torques based on a bang-bang control law, while momentum wheels are used to correct tracking errors. ∗ Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061. Phone: (540) 231-2314, email: [email protected] † Associate Professor, School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332. Phone: (404) 894-9526, email: [email protected] ‡ Ph.D. Candidate, School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332. Phone: (404)894-6302, email: haijun [email protected]