One-axis magnetic attitude control for short-term high-accuracy pointing

Abstract

The one-axis magnetic attitude control problem for a 6U CubeSat is considered. The payload demands high-accuracy pointing and stabilization for short-term periods. A special reference motion is constructed to overcome the constraints of magnetic control and meet the accuracy requirements. To find this motion, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method is first employed. Subsequently, a three-axis magnetic attitude control law is applied to stabilize the satellite in the vicinity of this motion. Since the performance of the magnetic control is sensitive to disturbances, an extensive numerical study is conducted to demonstrate the fulfillment of the payload requirements. Special attention is given to the uncertainty in the inertia tensor knowledge, which arises due to imperfections in the satellite assembly and the inherent complexity of estimating this parameter.