On-Orbit Identification Experiments by Engineering Test Satellite-VI

Abstract On-orbit system identification experiments have been performed using Engineering Test Satellite-VI (ETS-VΙ) launched in 1994. The purpose of the experiments is to check the validity of a mathematical model for ETS-VΙ which was previously obtained by ground experiments. Two kinds of system identification algorithms are utilized. One is a prediction error method and the other is a subspace-based method.The purpose of this paper is to compare these system identification algorithms using experimental data. It will be shown that the subspace method is promising for system identification of large space structures.