Optimal Hybrid Attitude Control for Detumbling Spacecraft

Supervisor: Prof. Christopher Damaren, Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Laboratory, UTIAS

Grade Received: 4.0/4.0

Abstract: The B-Dot controller, a traditional method of detumbling is revisited and compared against a recently developed hybrid method which utilizes a magnetic-impulsive controller developed through modern optimal control theory in order to compensate for inherent uncontrollability found in purely magnetic control. A number of simulations were performed in order to compare the performance of the two systems over a range of conditions including differing orbital altitudes and methods for impulse application time.

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