Constrained large angle reorientation manoeuvres of a space telescope using potential functions and a variable control gain

Abstract

In some space applications, such as satellite surveillance and communication, a spacecraft must perform accurate pointing and slewing manoeuvres, whereby the spacecraft is rotated along a large angle amplitude trajectory. In many circumstances it is also required that the sensitive payload does not intercept bright objects such as the Sun, Earth and Moon, to avoid possible damage to the optical instruments. The importance of this subject has stimulated an active research, and different approaches have been reported in the literature(1-5).