ROBUST TIME-OPTIMAL CONTROL OF UNCERTAIN FLEXIBLE SPACECRAFT

A new approach for computing time-optimal open-loop control inputs for uncertain flexible spacecraft is developed. In particular, the single-axis, rest-to-rest maneuvering problem of flexible spacecraft in the presence of uncertainty in model parameters is investigated. Robust time-optimal control inputs are obtained by solving a parameter optimization problem subject to robustness constraints. A simple dynamical system with a rigid-body mode and one flexible mode is used to illustrate the concept.