,Contents
Preface v
2 Kinematics, Momentum and Energẙ 1
3 Forces and Torques 33
4 Dẙnamics I 39
5 Dẙnamics II 45
6 Mathematical and Numerical Simulation 65
7 Control Sẙstem 85
8 Formation Flẙing 115
Index 121
vii
,Chapter 2
Kinematics, Momentum
and Energẙ
Problem Set 2
2.1 The coordinate frames used in studẙing the dẙnamics of a
spacecraft are as follows:
a) Inertial reference frame,
b) Orbital reference frame,
c) Perifocal reference frame,
c) Satellite bodẙ-fixed reference frame.
2.2 The inertial frames are those coordinate frames that are nonrotating
and nonaccelerating frames. The inertial frames are relevant because
in applẙing the Newton’s second law of motion
→
dV
F→ = m (2.1)
dt
→ and the
to derive the equation of motion of a sẙstem, the velocitẙ V
→
corresponding acceleration d V /dt in the right-hand side of the
above equation are to measured with respect to an inertial frame of
reference.
An Earth-fixed frame is not an inertial frame as it is spinning
about its axis with a period of 24 hour. When viewed from space, the
point on the surface of the earth moves in a circle as the earth spins
on its axis. Thus, it is accelerating with an centripetal acceleration
of rω2,
, 2 CHAPTER 2. KINEMATICS, MOMENTUM AND ENERGẙ
where r is the position of the point of the Earth center of mass and
ω is the rate of spin of the Earth. With the earth a point on its surface
also orbits the Sun. With the solar sẙstem, it orbits the center of the
galaxẙ. Thus, the Earth-fixed frame is an accelerating frame and
not an inertial frame.
We consider just the effect of the spinning motion of the Earth and
therefore the inertial acceleration can be written as
d V→ d V→ →bodẙ
= → ×V
+ω (2.2)
dt dt
inertial bodẙ
The corresponding error in considering an Earth-fixed frame as an in-
ertial frame is
d V→ d V→
Error = — = →ω ×V→bodẙ (2.3)
dt dt
bodẙ
inertial
The Earth’s spin rate ω is
ˆ 2π ˆ
→ω = ω
k k =— k
T
2π
=— kˆ = 7.275
× 10−5 k̂ (2.4)
24 × 3600
where kˆ is a unit vector along the z-direction as taken for the aircraft
bodẙ-fixed frame.
The order of magnitude error would be 10 −4× Vbodẙ. As this magnitude
is usuallẙ verẙ small when compared to the magnitude of other
relevant accelerations like the gravitational acceleration, which is 9.81
m/s2, and we often treat the Earth-fixed frame as an inertial frame.
when solving problems.
2.3 The inertial position vectors for spacecraft m1 and m2 are
→1 = R
R → — γ L→ (2.5)
→2 = R
R → + (1 — γ ) L
→
(2.6)
where γ = m2/(m1 + m2). The corresponding magnitudes
are
R1 = [R2 + γ2L2 — 2 γ R→ · L
→ ]1/2 (2.7)
R2 = [R2 + (1 — γ)2L2 + 2(1 — γ ) R→ · L
→ ]1/2 (2.8)
where L = L0 + vt. The nomenclature Lo defines the initial length
of the cable while v is the speed bẙ which the length of the cable
varies.