Journal of Technology in Aerospace Engineering

Journal of Technology in Aerospace Engineering

A Review on Attitude Control of Flexible Remote Sensing Satellites

Articles in Press

Document Type : Scientific Extension

Authors
Mohammad Zarourati 1
Maryam Malekzadeh 2
1 Department of Aerospace Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Aerospace Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jtae.2026.570322.1441
Abstract
Currently, a new generation of remote sensing satellites with high image collection capacity and rapid targeting is being developed. For remote sensing satellites, capabilities such as rapid maneuvering, high pointing accuracy, and attitude stability are critical. Moreover, with the increasing use of large and flexible structures, such as solar panels and antennas, in satellites, dynamic phenomena arising from structural flexibility have become one of the main issues in the design and implementation of the attitude control subsystem. This study first examines the challenges and conventional architectures of attitude control for flexible satellites. Subsequently, a review of dynamic modeling methods for flexible satellites is provided, analyzing their accuracy, computational efficiency, and suitability for control design. In this context, the dynamic characteristics of flexible satellites and the coupling between rigid-body motion and structural vibration modes are investigated. The paper then reviews various control approaches and modern methods based on optimal control, neural networks, nonlinear control, robust control, and adaptive control. The advantages and limitations of each method are compared in terms of control accuracy, robustness to uncertainties and external disturbances, absence of overshoot, possibility of performing rapid imaging maneuvers, and implementability. Furthermore, practical issues such as vibration suppression methods, including active control and input shaping, are discussed. Finally, recommendations are presented to develop effective strategies for attitude control and vibration suppression in flexible remote sensing satellites.
Keywords
Remote sensing satellites
Attitude control
Flexible structures
Rapid maneuver
Vibration suppression
Subjects
[1]    L. Mazzini, Flexible Spacecraft Dynamics, Control and Guidance. Cham: Springer, 2016.
[2]    C. Yang, "Interval riccati equation-based and non-probabilistic dynamic reliability-constrained multi-objective optimal vibration control with multi-source uncertainties," Journal of Sound and Vibration, vol. 595, 2025, Art. no. 118742, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jsv.2024.118742.
[3]    C. Yang and Q. Yu, "Multi-objective optimization-inspired set theory-based regularization approach for force reconstruction with bounded uncertainties," Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, vol. 438, Part A, 2025, Art. no. 117814, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2025.117814.
[4]    C. Yang, Q. Wang, W. Lu, and Y. Li, "Integrated uncertain optimal design strategy for truss configuration and attitude–vibration control in rigid–flexible coupling structure with interval uncertainties," Nonlinear Dynamics, vol. 113, no. 3, pp. 2215–2238, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-024-10291-w.
[5]    M. Zarourati, M. Mirshams, and M. Tayefi, "Designing an adaptive robust observer for underactuation fault diagnosis of a remote sensing satellite," International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing, vol. 37, no. 11, pp. 2812–2834, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1002/acs.3661.
[6]    M. Zarourati, M. Mirshams, and M. Tayefi, "Active underactuation fault-tolerant backstepping attitude tracking control of a satellite with interval error constraints," Advanced Control for Applications, vol. 6, no. 3, 2024, Art. no. e215, https://doi.org/10.1002/adc2.215.
[7]    W. Yeau, "Operational analysis of time-optimal maneuvering for imaging spacecraft," M.S. thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate Schoolno, 2013.
[8]    P. Gasbarri, R. Monti, and M. Sabatini, "Very large space structures: Non-linear control and robustness to structural uncertainties," Acta Astronautica, vol. 93, pp. 252–265, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.07.022.
[9]    M. Zarourati, M. Mirshams, and M. Tayefi, "A review on underactuated attitude control of reaction wheel actuated satellites," Journal of Space Science and Technololgy, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 83–119, 2025, (in Persian), https://doi.org/10.22034/jsst.2025.1528.
[10]  S. Moradi, "Application of advanced control systems in flexible space vehicles," Journal of Technology in Aerospace Engineering, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 41–51, 2019, (in Persian).
[11]  S. J. Mirahmadi and M. R. Nasresfahani, "A review on space solar arrays," Journal of Technology in Aerospace Engineering, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 59–70, 2024, (in Persian), https://doi.org/10.30699/jtae.2023.7.4.6.
[12]  M. Azimi, "Review of deployment mechanisms for space structures," Journal of Technology in Aerospace Engineering, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 23–40, 2019, (in Persian).
[13]  M. Fathi and H. Bolandi, "Survey on flexible satellite: Dynamic analysis, challenges and attitude control strategies," Aerospace Knowledge and Technology Journal, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 189–230, 2023, (in Persian).
[14]  U. G. Sefercik, M. Alkan, C. Atalay, K. Jacobsen, G. Büyüksalih, and S. Karakış, "Optimizing the achievable information content extraction from worldview-4 stereo imagery," PFG–Journal of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Science, vol. 88, no. 6, pp. 449–461, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41064-020-00127-8.
[15]  J. G. Masek et al., "Landsat 9: Empowering open science and applications through continuity," Remote Sensing of Environment, vol. 248, 2020, Art. no. 111968, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.111968.
[16]  J. Le Roux, S. Christopher, and M. Maskey, "Exploring the use of planetscope data for particulate matter air quality research," Remote Sensing, vol. 13, no. 15, 2021, Art. no. 2981, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13152981.
[17]  A. Moreira, P. Prats-Iraola, M. Younis, G. Krieger, I. Hajnsek, and K. P. Papathanassiou, "A tutorial on synthetic aperture radar," IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 6–43, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1109/MGRS.2013.2248301.
[18]  . J. Wang and D. X. Li, Rigid-Flexible Coupling Dynamics and Control of Flexible Spacecraft with Time-Varying Parameters. 2022 nd. Singapore, Springer, 2022.
[19]  X. Wang, G. Wu, L. Xing, and W. Pedrycz, "Agile earth observation satellite scheduling over 20 years: formulations, methods, and future directions," IEEE Systems Journal, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 3881–3892, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1109/JSYST.2020.2997050.
[20]  M. F. Barschke, J. Levenhagen, D. Reggio, and P. C. E. Roberts, "ASSET: A software tool for the evaluation of manoeuvre capabilities of highly agile satellites," CEAS Space Journal, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 37–45, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-013-0057-2.
[21]  M. Lemaître, G. Verfaillie, F. Jouhaud, J. M. Lachiver, and N. Bataille, "Selecting and scheduling observations of agile satellites," Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 367–381, 2002, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1270-9638(02)01173-2.
[22]  M. Zarourati, M. Mirshams, and M. Tayefi, "Attitude path design and adaptive robust tracking control of a remote sensing satellite in various imaging modes," Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, vol. 237, no. 9, pp. 2166–2184, Jul. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1177/09544100221148887.
[23]  M. A. Aguirre, Introduction to Space Systems: Design and Synthesis. 2013th .Springer,2014.
[24]  W. Zhi and L. Bau-hua, "Compound control system design based on backstepping techniques and neural network sliding m Spode for flexible satellite," in International Conference On Computer Design and Applications, Qinhuangdao, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCDA.2010.5541386.
[25]  X. Shi and G. Yuan, "Robust attitude tracking control scheme for flexible spacecraft with vibration suspension," in 25th Chinese Control and Decision Conference, CCDC, Guiyang, China, Paper 1989–1993, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1109/CCDC.2013.6561260.
[26]  S. Li, X. Yang, and D. Yang, "Active disturbance rejection control for high pointing accuracy and rotation speed," Automatica, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 1854–1860, 2009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.automatica.2009.03.029.
[27]  G. Swinerd, "Subsystem design I like your attitude," in How Spacecraft Fly, Copernicus, New York, NY. 2008, pp. 157–169, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-76572-3_8
[28]  Q. Hu and G. Ma, "Variable structure control and active vibration suppression of flexible spacecraft during attitude maneuver," Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 307–317, 2005, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2005.02.001.
[29]  S. Di Gennaro, "Output attitude tracking for flexible spacecraft," Automatica, vol. 38, no. 10, pp. 1719–1726, 2002, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-1098(02)00082-1.
[30]  Q. Hu and G. Ma, "Adaptive variable structure controller for spacecraft vibration reduction," IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 861–876, 2008, https://doi.org/10.1109/TAES.2008.4655349.
[31]  J. Guo, Y. Geng, B. Wu, and X. Kong, "Vibration suppression of flexible spacecraft during attitude maneuver using CMGs," Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 72, pp. 183–192, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2017.11.005.
[32]  H. Kojima, R. Nakamura, and S. Keshtkar, "Steering control law for double-gimbal scissored-pair CMG," Advances in Space Research, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 771–784, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2020.05.007.
[33]  C. Chiappa, G. Bodineau, S. Boulade, and C. Beugnon, "(μ -Mu) -iteration technique: Application to attitude control of satellite with large flexible appendages," in 4th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Seville, Spainvol, 2005, 2005, https://doi.org/10.1109/CDC.2005.1582228.
[34]  M. Shahravi and M. Azimi, "Attitude and vibration control of flexible spacecraft using singular perturbation approach," International Scholarly Research Notices, vol. 2014, no. 1, 2014, Art. no. 163870, https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/163870.
[35]  S. Jamshidi, M. Mirzaei, and M. Malekzadeh, "Applied optimal control of spacecraft simulator subject to failures of reaction wheels," Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 1697–1712, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-023-07960-0.
[36]  M. Malekzadeh, A. Naghash, and H. A. Talebi, "A robust nonlinear control approach for tip position tracking of flexible spacecraft," IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 2423–2434, 2011, https://doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.1109/TAES.2011.6034642.
[37]  B. Yuan, Z. Meng, and R. Q. Dong, "Design of anti-unwinding attitude coupling controller for flexible spacecraft using positive position feedback control," Acta Astronautica, vol. 218, pp. 163–176, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.02.018.
[38]  M. N. Hasan, Y. Chen, J. Liang, and A. Wen, "Fixed-time fault-tolerant attitude control for flexible spacecraft without angular velocity sensor," ISA Transactions, vol. 146, pp. 87–98, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isatra.2023.12.022.
[39]  M. Zarourati, M. Mirshams, and M. Tayefi, "Integrated vibration suppression-based attitude tracking control of a flexible satellite in rapid imaging maneuver," Aerospace Systems, vol. 9, pp, 555-571, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42401-025-00388-4.
[40]  P. C. Hughes, "Modal identities for elastic bodies, with application to vehicle dynamics and control,"Journal of Applied Mechanics, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 177–184, 1980, https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3153599.
[41]  X. GU, "Dynamics and control of flexible space manipulator," Chinese Journal of Space Science, vol 17, no. 7, pp. 377-381, 1997, https://doi.org/10.11728/cjss1997.04.377.
[42]  L. Liu, D. Cao, and X. Tan, "Studies on global analytical mode for a three-axis attitude stabilized spacecraft by using the Rayleigh–Ritz method," Archive of Applied Mechanics, vol. 86, no. 12, pp. 1927–1946, 2016, https:/doi.org/10.1007/s00419-016-1155-3.
[43]  T. D. Wood, "Modelling and control of large flexible spacecraft," Ph.D. dissertation, University of Bath, United Kingdom, 1986.
[44]  S. Sorooshian and M. H. Costin, "Large scale systems modelling: M.S. Mahmoud and M.G. Singh," Automatica, vol. 19, no. 3, p. 351, 1983, https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-1098(83)90121-8.
[45]  S. V. Salehi, "Application of adaptive observers to the control of flexible spacecraft," IFAC Proceedings Volumes, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 167-174, 1985, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-6670(17)60885-1.
[46]  E. Azadi, M. Eghtesad, S. A. Fazelzadeh, and M. Azadi, "Vibration suppression of smart nonlinear flexible appendages of a rotating satellite by using hybrid adaptive sliding mode/Lyapunov control," Journal of Vibration and Control, vol. 19, no. 7, pp. 975–991, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1177/107754631243991.
[47]  P. Hughes, "Attitude dynamics of a three-axis stabilized satellite with a large flexible solar array," in Guidance and Control Conference, Stanford, CA, USA. 1972, https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1972-857.
[48]  P. W. Likins and G. E. Fleischer, "Large-deformation modal coordinates for nonrigid vehicle dynamics," NASA, Contractor Rep. JPL-TR-32-1565, 1972.
[49]  P. W. Likins, "Dynamics and control of flexible space vehicles," NASA, Tech. Rep. 32-1329, 1970.
[50]  L. Meirovitch, Elements of Vibration Analysis. McGraw-Hill, 1975.
[51]  A. J. Elliott, A. Nakhaeezadeh Gutierrez, L. Felicetti, and L. Zanotti Fragonara, "In-orbit system identification of a flexible satellite with variable mass using dual Unscented Kalman filters," Acta Astronautica, vol. 226, Part 2, pp. 71–86, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.11.014.
[52]  D. Lu and Y. Liu, "Singular formalism and admissible control of spacecraft with rotating flexible solar array," Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 136–144, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cja.2013.12.010.
[53]  M. Zarourati, "Modeling, simulation, and analysis of flexible satellite dynamics in MATLAB and ADAMS and design verification for attitude control applications," Journal of Space Science, Technology and Applications (JSTA), 2026, https://doi.org/10.22034/jssta.2026.546180.1263.
[54] O. Wallrapp and S. Wiedemann, "Simulation of deployment of a flexible solar array," Multibody System Dynamics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 101–125, 2002, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015295720991.
[55]  B. Fufa, C. Zhao-Bo, and M. Wensheng, "Modeling and simulation of satellite solar panel deployment and locking," Information Technology Journal, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 600–604, 2010, https://doi.org/10.3923/itj.2010.600.604.
[56]  S. Shahriari, S. Azadi, and M. M. Moghaddam, "An accurate and simple model for flexible satellites for three-dimensional studies," Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 1319–1327, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-010-0329-0.
[57]  J. C. Brannan and C. R. Carignan, "Modeling flexible-body dynamics in real-time robotic systems used in satellite servicing simulations," AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies (MST) Conference, Boston, MA, 2013, https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2013-5157.
[58]  W. Xu, D. Meng, Y. Chen, H. Qian, and Y. Xu, "Dynamics modeling and analysis of a flexible-base space robot for capturing large flexible spacecraft," Multibody System Dynamics, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 357–401, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11044-013-9389-0.
[59]  B. Baghi, M. Kabganian, R. Nadafi, and E. Arabi, "Three-axis attitude stabilization of a flexible satellite using non-linear PD controller," Transactions of the Institute of Measurement and Control, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 591–605, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1177/0142331216663616.
[60]  M. Tahmasebi and S. M. Esmailzadeh, "Modeling and co-simulating of a large flexible satellites with three reaction wheels in ADAMS and MATLAB," International Journal of Dynamics and Control, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 79–88, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40435-016-0300-8.
[61]  A. Stolfi, P. Gasbarri, and M. Sabatini, "A parametric analysis of a controlled deployable space manipulator for capturing a non-cooperative flexible satellite," Acta Astronautica, vol. 148, pp. 317–326, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.04.028.
[62]  D. Zhang, J. Luo, and J. Yuan, "Dynamics modeling and attitude control of spacecraft flexible solar array considering the structure of the hinge rolling," Acta Astronautica, vol. 153, pp. 60–70, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.09.021.
[63]  H. Soleimani and M. Azimi, "Modeling and simulation of a flexible spacecraft solar panels deployment mechanism with yoke driven assembly," Journal Space Science and Technololgy, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 37–48, 2020, (in Persian), https://doi.org/10.30699/jsst.2021.1224.
[64]  G. Lu, J. Zhou, G. Cai, L. Lv, and G. Fang, "Active vibration control of a large space antenna structure using cable actuator," AIAA Journal, vol. 59, no. 4, pp. 1457–1468, 2021, https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J059956.
[65]  Z. J. Shahbazzadeh, R. Vatankhah, M. Eghtesad, and N. Assadian, "Development and verification of a flexible tethered satellite system model considering the fuel slosh," Multibody System Dynamics, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 289–312, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11044-022-09845-w.
[66]  G. He and D. Cao, "Dynamic modeling and attitude–vibration cooperative control for a large-scale flexible spacecraft," Actuators, vol. 12, no. 4, 2023, Art. no. 167, https://doi.org/10.3390/act12040167.
[67]  G. Tagliani, M. Mancini, and E. Capello, "Attitude control system design for multibody flexible spacecraft," in American Control Conference (ACC), San Diego, CA, USA. 2023, https://doi.org/10.23919/ACC55779.2023.10156128.
[68]  J. Zhang, P. Wu, Q. Han, X. Wei, and Y. Duan, "Dynamic behavior of satellite and its solar arrays subject to large-scale antenna deployment shock," Aerospace, vol. 11, no. 5, 2024, Art. no. 349, https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11050349.
[69]  F. Gao, J. Li, and G. Sun, "Efficient and accurate flexible multibody dynamics modeling for complex spacecraft with integrated control applications," Acta Astronautica, vol. 219, pp. 818–825, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.03.071.
[70]  M. Zarourati, M. Mirshams, and M. Tayefi, "Robust hybrid attitude tracking and vibration suppression control of a remote sensing flexible satellite based on command shaping method," Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, vol. 51, pp. 9781-983, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-025-10720-x.
[71]  M. Rivandi, M. Mirshams, and M. Zarourati, "Design and implementation of a balance system for the cubesat attitude determination and control tabletop simulator,” Journal of Space Science and Technololgy, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 75–88, 2023, https://doi.org/10.30699/jsst.2023.1426.
[72]  Z. cheng Qiu, H. X. Wu, and D. Zhang, "Experimental researches on sliding mode active vibration control of flexible piezoelectric cantilever plate integrated gyroscope," Thin-Walled Structures, vol. 47, no. 8–9, pp. 836–846, 2009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tws.2009.03.003.
[73]  S. Di Gennaro, "Passive attitude control of flexible spacecraft from quaternion measurements," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, vol. 116, no. 1, pp. 41–60, 2003, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022106118182.
[74]  Y. Yu, X. Meng, K. Li, and F. Xiong, "Robust control of flexible spacecraft during large-angle attitude maneuver," Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 1027–1033, 2014, https://doi.org/10.2514/1.61421.
[75]  B. Wie, Space Vehicle Dynamics and Control, 2nd ed. Reston ,VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2008.
[76]  C. Yang, Y. Liu, and H. Gao, "Reliability-constrained uncertain spacecraft sliding mode attitude tracking control with interval parameters,” IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 61, no. 3, pp. 6589–6600, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1109/TAES.2025.3529798.
[77]  C. Yang, X. Xu, X. Wang, and Z. Fan, "Interval-oriented eigensystem realization algorithm and its modification for structural modal parameter identification with bounded uncertainties," Journal of Sound and Vibration, vol. 601, 2025, Art. no. 118929, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2025.118929.
[78]  C. Yang, Y. Zuo, W. Lu, and T. Wang, "Uncertain attitude tracking control for QUAV based on interval LQT with states reliability constraints," Nonlinear Dynamics, vol. 113, no. 15, pp. 19901–19921, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-025-11197-x.
[79]  S. Ameli, M. Malekzadeh, and M. Mortazavi, "Reinforcement learning-based boundary control for attitude tracking and vibration suppression in flexible satellites," Journal of Vibration and Control, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1177/10775463251386549.
[80]  A. Ebrahimi, S. A. A. Moosavian, and M. Mirshams, "Minimum-time optimal control of flexible spacecraft for rotational maneuvering," in International Conference on Control Applications, Taipei, Taiwan, 2004, https://doi.org/10.1109/cca.2004.1387494.
[81]  M. R. Dehghan Nayeri, A. Alasty, and K. Daneshjou, "Neural optimal control of flexible spacecraft slew maneuver," Acta Astronautica, vol. 55, no. 10, pp. 817–827, 2004, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2004.04.002.
[82]  H. Bang, Y. Cho, and H. Lee, "Slewing maneuver control of flexible spacecraft by output feedback," Acta Astronautica, vol. 55, no. 11, pp. 903–916, 2004, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2004.04.010.
[83]  U. Javaid, Z. Zhen, S. Shahid, D. S. Ibrahim, and S. Ijaz, "Output feedback attitude control of flexible spacecraft under actuator misalignment and input nonlinearities," Journal of Vibration and Control, vol. 30, no. 7–8, pp. 1783–1801, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1177/10775463231171386.
[84]  H. Bang, C. K. Ha, and J. H. Kim, "Flexible spacecraft attitude maneuver by application of sliding mode control," Acta Astronautica, vol. 57, no. 11, pp. 841–850, 2005, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2005.04.009.
[85]  Q. Hu, "Sliding mode attitude control with L2-gain performance and vibration reduction of flexible spacecraft with actuator dynamics," Acta Astronautica, vol. 67, no. 5–6, pp. 572–583, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.04.018.
[86]  M. Zarourati, M. Mirshams, and M. Tayefi, "Adaptive robust attitude control and vibration suppression of a flexible satellite in imaging maneuver," Journal of Space Science and Technololgy, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 78–91, 2025, (in Persian), https://doi.org/10.22034/jsst.2025.1524.
[87]  M. Khodaverdian and M. Malekzadeh, "Fault-tolerant model predictive sliding mode control with fixed-time attitude stabilization and vibration suppression of flexible spacecraft," Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 139, 2023, Art. no. 108381, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2023.108381.
[88]  C. Zhong, Y. Guo, and Z. Yu, "A self-adjusting sliding-mode control based on RBF neural network for flexible spacecraft attitude," in International Conference on Information and Automation (ICIA), Yinchuan, China, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICInfA.2013.6720297.
[89]  J. Chen, B. Feng, Z. Guo, B. Huang, Q. Li, and B. Lu, "Attitude dynamic tracking control of an agile satellite using a fixed-structured H∞ synthesis method," Aerospace Systems, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 243–253, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42401-020-00066-7.
[90]  J. Park, J. D. Lee, and H. Bang, "Vibration suppression adaptive prescribed performance control for flexible spacecraft with uncertain moment of inertia," Acta Astronautica, vol. 235, pp. 141–154, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.05.015.
[91]  X. Song, X. Li, S. Lu, and X. Song, "Fault-tolerant attitude control for liquid-filled flexible spacecraft without angular velocity measurements based on disturbance observer," Journal of Vibration and Control, vol. 30, no. 5–6, pp. 1143–1158, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1177/10775463231157228.
[92]  Y. Bai, J. D. Biggs, F. B. Zazzera, and N. Cui, "Adaptive attitude tracking with active uncertainty rejection," Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 546–554, 2018, https://doi.org/10.2514/1.G002391.
[93]  Y. T. Xu, A. G. Wu, Q. H. Zhu, and R. Q. Dong, "Observer-based sliding mode control for flexible spacecraft with external disturbance,” IEEE Access, vol. 8, pp. 32477–32484, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2973657.
[94]  S. N. Singh and R. Zhang, "Adaptive output feedback control of spacecraft with flexible appendages by modeling error compensation," Acta Astronautica, vol. 54, no. 4, pp. 229–243, 2004, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0094-5765(03)00030-4.
[95]  S. Shaoping and Q. Sun, "Characteristic model-based fast attitude maneuver for the complex flexible satellite," in AIAA SPACE Conference and Exposition, Pasadena, California, 2015, https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2015-4508.
[96]  L. Wang, Y. Guo, W. Yao, and Q. Chen, "Adaptive robust attitude control for flexible spacecraft with control moment gyroscopes," in 12th World Congress on Intelligent Control and Automation (WCICA), Guilin, China, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1109/WCICA.2016.7578603.
[97]  M. Fathi, H. Bolandi, and B. Ghorbani Vaghei, "Designing observer-based adaptive multi-model predictive attitude control for flexible satellites," Advances in Space Research, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 3684-3705, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2025.11.042.
[98]  L. Fan, Y. Xing, Z. He, Q. Zhang, and Z. Chen, "Robust attitude control of a flexible satellite assembled with a partially expanded coilable mast," Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 148, 2024, Art. no. 109093, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2024.109093.
[99]  A. P. Nair, N. Selvaganesan, and V. R. Lalithambika, "Projection and barrier Lyapunov-based controller update laws in mrac structure for flexible satellite launch vehicles,” IETE Technical Review, vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 710–724, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1080/02564602.2022.2162453.
[100]      S. M. Esmaeilzadeh and M. S. Zeyghami, "A novel output redefinition method for nonlinear H∞ attitude stabilization of a flexible spacecraft," Asian Journal of Control, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 1625–1632, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1002/asjc.3296.
[101]      B. Hang, B. Su, and W. Deng, "Adaptive sliding mode fault-tolerant attitude control for flexible satellites based on T-S fuzzy disturbance modeling," Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, vol. 20, no. 7, pp. 12700–12717, 2023, https://doi.org/10.3934/mbe.2023566.
[102]      L. Zhu, W. Song, and Q. Hu, "Active vibration suppression and attitude maneuvers of flexible spacecraft via fuzzy sliding control," in Chinese Control and Decision Conference, Yantai, China, 2008, https://doi.org/10.1109/CCDC.2008.4598014.
[103]      M. Azadi, S. A. Fazelzadeh, M. Eghtesad, and E. Azadi, "Vibration suppression and adaptive-robust control of a smart flexible satellite with three axes maneuvering," Acta Astronautica, vol. 69, no. 5–6, pp. 307–322, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2011.04.001.
[104]      Q. Hu and G. Ma, "Vibration suppression of flexible spacecraft during attitude maneuvers," Journal of guidance, control, and dynamics, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 377–380, 2005, https://doi.org/10.2514/1.12967.
[105]      X. Cao, C. Yue, and M. Liu, "Flexible satellite attitude maneuver via constrained torque distribution and active vibration suppression," Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 67, pp. 387–397, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2017.04.014.
[106]      J. Yuan, D. Yang, and H. Wei, "Flexible satellite attitude maneuver control using pulse-width pulse-frequency modulated input shaper," in 1st International Symposium on Systems and Control in Aerospace and Astronautics, Harbin, China, 2006, https://doi.org/10.1109/ISSCAA.2006.1627502.
[107]      K. Cao, R. Xie, J. Zhou, X. Zhang, J. Wang, and S. Li, "Optimizing the Location of the Piezoelectric Actuator and analyzing its effect on the dynamics of asymmetric flexible spacecraft,” Aerospace, vol. 10, no. 8, 2023, Art. no. 716, https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10080716.
[108]      L. Fan, H. Huang, L. Sun, and K. Zhou, "Robust attitude control for a rigid-flexible-rigid microsatellite with multiple uncertainties and input saturations," Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 95, 2019, Art. no. 105443, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2019.105443.
[109]      J. Tao, T. Zhang, and Q. Liu, "Novel finite-time adaptive neural control of flexible spacecraft with actuator constraints and prescribed attitude tracking performance," Acta Astronautica, vol. 179, pp. 646–658, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.10.010.
[110]      Y. T. Xu, A. G. Wu, and R. Q. Dong, "Anti-unwinding attitude maneuver control with predefined time for rigid spacecraft with input saturation," International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, vol. 34, no. 13, pp. 8919–8944, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1002/rnc.7423.
[111]      Y. Liu, X. Chen, Y. Wu, H. Cai, and H. Yokoi, "Adaptive neural network control of a flexible spacecraft subject to input nonlinearity and asymmetric output constraint,” IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, vol. 33, no. 11, pp. 6226–6234, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1109/TNNLS.2021.3072907.
[112]      J. Wang, Q. Zhang, J. Liu, X. Chen, and C. Xue, "Vibration suppression and adaptive fault-tolerant control for three-dimensional flexible rotating manipulator with input signal constraints,” International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 736–744, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1002/acs.3964.
[113]      J. Qiao, X. LI, and J. XU, "A composite disturbance observer and H∞ control scheme for flexible spacecraft with measurement delay and input delay," Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 1472–1480, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cja.2018.10.013.
[114]      Y. Zhang, A. Pang, H. Zhu, and H. Feng, "Structured H∞ control for spacecraft with flexible appendages," Entropy, vol. 23, no. 8, 2021, Art. no. 930, https://doi.org/10.3390/e23080930.
[115]      J. Tayebi, T. Chen, and H. Wang, "Dynamics and control of flexible satellite using reaction sphere actuators," Space: Science & Technology, vol. 3, 2023, Art. no. 0077, https://doi.org/10.34133/space.0077.
[116]      R. Rodrigues, V. Preda, F. Sanfedino, and D. Alazard, "Modeling, robust control synthesis and worst-case analysis for an on-orbit servicing mission with large flexible spacecraft," Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 129, 2022, Art. no. 107865, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2022.107865.
[117]      R. Rodrigues, F. Sanfedino, and D. Alazard, "Linear parameter-varying gain-scheduled attitude controller for a spinning spacecraft involving large flexible booms," in CEAS EuroGNC 2024, Bristol, United Kingdom, 2024.
[118]      G. He, D. Cao, and G. H. M. van der Heijden, "Complicated nonlinear oscillations caused by maneuvering of a flexible spacecraft equipped with hinged solar arrays," Nonlinear Dynamics, vol. 111, no. 7, pp. 6261–6293, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-022-08173-0.
[119]      R. Rodrigues, D. Alazard, F. Sanfedino, T. Mauriello, and P. Iannelli, "Modeling and analysis of a flexible spinning Euler-Bernoulli beam with centrifugal stiffening and softening: A linear fractional representation approach with application to spinning spacecraft," Applied Mathematical Modelling, vol. 137, Part B, 2025, Art. no. 115699, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2024.115699.
[120]      X. Li, H. Zhang, and G. Cai, "Cooperative nonlinear vibration control of membrane antenna structure with piezoelectric and cable actuators," Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, vol. 240, no. 6, pp. 887-900, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1177/09544100251405000.
[121]      H. Gao, X. Liu, Y. Bi, and C. Yang, "Fixed-time safety-critical attitude control for flexible spacecraft with actuator faults." Acta Astronautica, vol. 238, Part B, pp. 115–126, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.09.097.
[122]      U. Javaid, M. Basin, A. Rauf, and S. Ijaz, "Robust flexible spacecraft attitude tracking under measurement errors, actuator nonlinearities, and faults," Advances in Space Research, vol. 75, no. 2, pp. 2361–2377, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2024.10.051.
[123]      T. Chen, J. Shan, and H. Wen, Distributed Attitude Consensus of Multiple Flexible Spacecraft. Springer Singapore, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4258-7.
[124]      B. Ross, N. Woo, and J. R. Blandino, "Simulation of the deployment of a flexible roll-up solar array using multi-body dynamics software," in 3rd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference, San Diego, California, USA. 2016, https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2016-1703.
[125]      M. Sabatini, P. Iannelli, P. Gasbarri, G. B. Palmerini, F. Angeletti, and F. Ankersen, "Scaling procedure for on-ground testing of a robust attitude and vibration control architecture for a large flexible satellite," Acta Astronautica, vol. 221, pp. 296–308, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.05.040.
Journal of Technology in Aerospace Engineering

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 08 September 2026

  • Receive Date 03 January 2026
  • Revise Date 22 February 2026
  • Accept Date 31 May 2026
  • First Publish Date 08 September 2026