On maneuvering large flexible spacecraft using an annular momentum control device

A scheme for the control and maneuvering of a large flexible spacecraft by means of two flexible AMCD's using noncontacting magnetic suspension is presented. The system consists of a flexible vehicle, two flexible rings and a magnetic suspension and driving assembly. The necessary skewing of the rings for maneuvering of the vehicle is accomplished by moving the pairs of magnets along tracks distributed around the circumference of the vehicle. The equations of motion for each subsystem are derived by the Lagrangian approach. Attitude motions are described in terms of quasi-coordinates. For small vehicle angular rates and rings attitude motions, an ordering scheme can be used to separate the equations of motion according to the magnitude of the terms. The ordered equations of motion lead to a linear time-variant optimal control problem for the maneuvering of the spacecraft.