Optimal simultaneous structural and control design of maneuvering flexible spacecraft

Abstract

An optimization problem for maneuvering flexible spacecraft is discussed wherein both structural parameters and active control forces are to be determined so that a specific cost functional is minimized. The problem is an application of the general theory of optimal control of parametric systems. For simplicity, only maneuvers from a specified initial state to a specified final state in a specified time interval are considered. Numerical examples are presented for single-axis slew maneuvers of a symmetric four-boom flexible structure. The mass and stiffness distributions of the booms are determined as part of the optimization problem.