Model reference control of the NASA SCOLE problem

Model reference controllers have been developed and applied to the linearized Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE) roll beam mode equation. When a large- but finite-dimensional approximation to the partial differential equation is used, the resulting control will be finite-dimensional, but possibly not adequately representative for the actual distributed-parameter system. To date the theory for such model reference controllers has been developed; here it is applied to a 16th-order finite-dimensional representation of the flexible and rigid body modes of the SCOLE. Results of the analysis and some preliminary simulation studies are presented.