Guaranteed cost attitude control of spacecraft under control limitation

In this paper, the guaranteed cost attitude control problem of spacecrafts under parameter uncertainty and control limitation is studied, the tradeoff relationship between system performance and control input is discussed, and a new guaranteed cost attitude control method is proposed independent on model linearization technology. This method takes into account the inherent nonlinear characteristics of spacecraft attitude systems. By exploring the characteristics of attitude dynamics described by quaternion and using special analysis techniques, the asymptotic stability is ensured, based on which the constraint relationship between performance index and control torque limits is established. Through the constraint, a linear controller can be determined that meets simultaneously the predetermined performance index and control torque limits. Moreover, the allowable optimal system performance can be obtained under some given maximal control torque limit, and the required minimal control torque can be analyzed under a prescribed performance index. Finally, the results of numerical experiments verify the effectiveness of the proposed method and its advantages compared with traditional methods.