Large space structure integrated structural and control optimization, using analytical sensitivity analysis

The analytical sensitivity analysis procedure to implement the integrated structural and control optimization of a large, low-Earth-orbit space structure is dealt with. The objective is to show that significant computation time can be saved when the analytical procedure is used instead of numerical calculation of the sensitivity. Despite that the numerical approach is attractive because it does not require the hard algebraic task to develop the sensitivity derivative expressions, the approach is often responsible for the major computational cost of an optimization process. The analytical approach represents an attractive option when the computational effort becomes prohibitive under cost considerations.