Attitude–Orbit Integrated Modeling and Control for Flexible Spacecraft Based on Twistors and Fully Actuated System Approach

The complex coupling relationship among attitude, orbit, and vibration challenges the control of flexible spacecraft. This article investigates the integrated attitude–orbit dynamical modeling and control of flexible spacecraft, which accurately describes the above complex coupling relationship to improve control performance. First, a twistor-based attitude–orbit integrated model of flexible spacecraft is established, avoiding the unitary constraint of the dual-quaternion-based model. Then, the attitude–orbit integrated control strategy based on the fully actuated system (FAS) approach is proposed for flexible spacecraft, which yields an arbitrary designable linear closed-loop system. Finally, the correctness of the dynamical model and the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control strategy are demonstrated by two sets of simulations.