On the offset control of flexible nonautonomous tethered two-body systems

Abstract A mathematical model is developed to study dynamics and control of a class of two-body systems, consisting of a flexible tether connecting a rigid platform with a point mass subsatellite, undergoing planar motion in a Keplerian orbit. The model incorporates translation of tether attachment point and deployment/retrieval of the subsatellite. The governing equations of motion are obtained using the Lagrangian procedure. The offset control strategy, which involves movement of the tether attachment point, is used to regulate the attitude dynamics of the tether. The controller for the time varying rigid body dynamics is designed using the Feedback Linearization Technique (FLT). Finally, an experimental setup is described to validate effectiveness of the FLT based offset controller for regulating the attitude motion.