Minimum angular-impulse control for a large flexible spacecraft

Characterization and implementation of efficient rotational motions of flexible spacecraft have been of research interest for more than 20 years. In the present study we consider rest-to-rest pointing maneuvers for a very large spacecraft, so that limits on available angular momentum are paramount A formal system of differential equations is developed based on a model that includes a rigid central hub and Euler-Bernoulli appendages. The model is recast in an appropriate state-space and standard functional analysis methods are used to prove well-posedness and to establish a framework for numerical approximation. Several variants of minimum-angular moment problems are studied; ultimately, we focus on a low-dimensional control parameterization based on a family of versine functions and on quasi-static structural response. Results are characterized in terms of simple formulas and sensitivity with respect to problem data is presented.