On Improving the Maneuverability of a Space Vehicle Managed by Inertial Executive Bodies

The problem of increasing the maneuverability of a spacecraft (SC) by minimizing the duration of rotations around the center of mass is solved. The case is studied when the orientation is controlled using inertial actuators (power gyroscopes, gyrodynamics). The problem of the fastest possible turn of an SC using gyrodynes from an arbitrary initial angular position to the desired final angular position is considered in detail. Using the maximum principle of L.S. Pontryagin, as well as quaternion models and methods for solving the problems of controlling the motion of an SC, a solution to the problem is obtained. The conditions of the optimality of the reorientation mode without unloading the gyrosystem are written in an analytical form and the properties of the optimal motion are studied. Formalized equations and calculation expressions are presented for constructing an optimal control program taking into account the possible perturbations. The key relationships that determine the optimal values of the parameters of the rotation control law are given. The results of mathematical modeling of the motion of an SC with the optimal control are presented, demonstrating the practical feasibility of the developed algorithm for controlling the spatial orientation of an SC. A condition is formulated for determining the moment of the start of braking from measurements of the current motion parameters, which significantly increases the accuracy of bringing an SC into a predetermined resting position in the presence of restrictions on the control moment.