| Overview | MSc info | MSc program | MSc topics | ET | TN | WBMT |
| AE4305: | Spacecraft Attitude Control Systems |
| ECTS: | 3 |
| Responsible Instructor: | Dr. Q.P. Chu |
| Contact Hours / Week x/x/x/x: | 0/4/0/0 |
| Education Period: | 2 |
| Start Education: | 2 |
| Exam Period: | 2 |
| Course Language: | English |
| Required for: | AE4305P |
| Expected prior knowledge: | AE2204 AE4301 AE4301P |
| Parts: | Week arrangement Week 1. Introduction to spacecraft dynamics and control, Rotational kinematics with quaternions Week 2. Rigid body dynamics Week 3. Spacecraft attitude determination techniques and attitude estimation Week 4. Attitude control actuators Week 5. Spacecraft passive attitude control Week 6. Spacecraft active at attitude control with momentum based actuators Week 7. Advanced control techniques for spacecraft attitude control |
| Course Contents: | Spacecraft attitude control is one of the most important subsystems for most space vehicles. It controls the orientation and rotational rate of the spacecraft to a required accuracy. The attitude control system uses attitude sensors and control actuators to determine and correct the attitude errors of the spacecraft. Unlike the flight dynamics in the third educatiioon year, the rotational kinematics of space vehicles in this course is thoroughly taught using quaternion algebra, in order to give a more general technique in modelling spacecraft rotational motion without having mathematical sigularitis. State estimation techniques such as Kalman filter and extended Kalman filter are introduced for estimating spacecraft attitude from attitude sensors. Several techniques in sensor integration and data fusion are also taught for enhancing the performance of the attitude determination system. Control actuators include reaction wheels, momentum biased wheels, thrusters, magnetic coils and Control Moment Gyros (CMGs). The single gimbal CMGs with their applications to spacecraft attitude control is specifically addressed. The course discusses not only the passive attitude control concepts but more dedicates to active attitude control system designs. Particularly the quaternion feedback control technique is enhanced. Conventional design of spacecraft attitude control systems is based on the linear control theory. In this lecture advanced control techniques such as Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion (NDI) is also introduced for highly manoeuvrable spacecraft. |
| Study Goals: | Students will be able to acquire classical and advanced techniques for spacecraft attitude control. |
| Education Method: | Lecture |
| Literature and Study Materials: | Q.P. Chu, Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Control, Lecture notes, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology. Recommended literature M.J. Sidi, Spacecraft dynamics and control, a practical engineering approach, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 1997 ISBN 0521550726. B. Wie, Space vehicle dynamics and control, AIAA Education Series, AIAA Inc., 1998 . |
| Assessment: | Take-home assignments |
| Remarks: | Examination: (3 ECTS): Take-home exercises of spacecraft attitude control systems with specified requirements and MATLAB simulations will be asked to complete after the course. |
