Optimal command generation for maneuvering the space station

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to digital@library.tamu.edu, referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-68).Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.The objective of this research is to obtain near minimum-fuel and minimum-time maneuver commands for large-angle maneuvers for the international space station. Attitude and angular velocity waypoints are generated using the method of differential inclusion. This approach, motivated by the inverse dynamics method, reduces the dimensionality of the discretized problem to be solved. Different types of control schemes are investigated using a combination of Thrusters and Control Moment Gyros. The optimized controls are determined using standard nonlinear optimization methods from the MATLAB program toolboxes. The maneuvers can be completed using considerably less fuel compared to eigen-axis maneuvers currently being implemented for the International Space Station. The differential inclusion method reduces the need for CMG desaturations as compared to a controller similar to the one on board the International Space Station. The near minimum-time results are comparable to eigen-axis maneuvers. The differential inclusion method is flexible and can easily be modified to accommodate the needs of problems with different constraints. The results obtained in this research use approximate models of the space environment and vehicle dynamics; however, the results can easily be used in a higher fidelity optimization