Optimal Path Planning-Based Finite-Time Control for Agile CubeSat Attitude Maneuver

A finite-time controller based on optimal path planning was developed for the agile CubeSat attitude maneuver. This achieved a stable attitude large-angle maneuver just by using momentum wheels and a magnetorquer, which is unlike other larger satellites that need a control moment gyroscope or thruster. The proposed optimal path planning algorithm was based on a quintic polynomial with three path segments in order to decrease angular velocity in the attitude maneuver process as far as possible to improve system stability under the condition of satisfying CubeSat's limited control capability, and there is also an improved differential evolution (DE) algorithm for the optimization of path planning, in which the variation and crossover coefficients all obey the beta distribution. The finite-time controller was based on the nonsingular terminal sliding mode, and an improved PD-type sigmoid function was proposed to replace the sign function. Finally, the physical simulation platform is built by using the NJUST-2 as an object, and the results revealed that the finite-time controller based on the Beta DE path planning can decrease angular velocity in the attitude maneuver process as far as possible to improve system stability under the condition of satisfying the CubeSat's limited control capability and then achieves a stable attitude large-angle maneuver just by using momentum wheels and a magnetorquer.