A pseudospectral method based robust-optimal attitude control strategy for spacecraft

This paper proposes an optimal integral sliding mode control (ISMC) scheme for attitude regulation of the rigid spacecraft. This control technique is capable of handling inertial matrix uncertainties as well as external disturbances. To incorporate optimality into the robust control law, the ISMC is integrated with Legendre pseudospectral method (LPSM). The minimization of the cost function and constraint handling of the spacecraft is obtained by LPSM, while the ISMC provides disturbance rejection. LPSM is chosen for its relatively high rate of convergence and its capability of solving a wide range of challenging optimal control problems. Theoretical stability analysis of closed loop system using Lyapunov theorem guarantees the convergence of attitude states. A comparative analysis between the proposed LPSM-ISMC and Chebyshev Pseudospectral Method (CPSM) based ISMC, is also presented in this paper. The effectiveness of the proposed robust-optimal control strategy is established through simulation results.