Method of Slewing the Spacecraft to Minimize Settling Time,” AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit

The low-frequency flexible modes of solar arrays on spacecraft are excited by the minimum-time bang-bang control during a slew maneuver. These flexible modes limit the control bandwidth and degrade the pointing error at the end of slew maneuver, resulting in a longer settling time. The objective of this investigation is to develop and verify methods to shape the torque profile of reaction wheels for the slew maneuver such that, at the end of slew, vibration are minimized and the settling time is reduced. Effectiveness of the smooth versine input profiles, torque feedforward, and input shaping are accessed. Both numerical simulation results and ground simulated experimental results are presented in this paper