Model predictive control of rigid spacecraft with two variable speed control moment gyroscopes

In this paper, an attitude maneuver control problem is investigated for a rigid spacecraft using an array of two variable speed control moment gyroscopes(VSCMGs)with gimbal axes skewed to each other. A mathematical model is constructed by taking the spacecraft and the gyroscopes together as an integrated system, with the coupling interaction between them considered. To overcome the singular issues of the VSCMGs due to the conventional torque-based method, the first-order derivative of gimbal rates and the second-order derivative of the rotor spinning velocity, instead of the gyroscope torques, are taken as input variables. Moreover, taking external disturbances into account,a feedback control law is designed for the system based on a method of nonlinear model predictive control(NMPC). The attitude maneuver can be realized fast and smoothly by using the proposed controller in this paper.