Product Description
From its roots in classical mechanics and reliance on stability theory to the evolution of practical stabilization ideas, this volume covers environmental torques encountered in space; energy dissipation; motion equations for four archetypical systems; orientation parameters; illustrations of key concepts with on-orbit flight data; and typical engineering hardware. 1986 edition.
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#1 by Joshua Ashenberg on July 1, 2010 - 2:48 pm
This is an excellent book and the Bible for spacecraft attitude dynamics. The book uses the so-called vectrices to represent reference frames. After getting used to the notation, it is very convenient tool for book keeping multiple reference frames. Although the idea is not original and appears in Wittenburg’s Dynamics of System of Rigid Bodies, the author shows many nice and helpful relations in vectices algebra and uses it elegantly to derive equations of motion. In addition to the comprehensive coverage of attitude dynamics of all kind of satellite configurations, the book gives stand alone reviews of other topics:
- Representations of attitude transformation including quaternions.
- Linear (and some non-linear) stability analysis including Floquet theory.
- Analysis of disturbances with a nice derivation of the general gravitational torque between spacecraft and other finite bodies. Rigorous treatment of torque due to free molecular flow.
- Equations of motion for multi-body, orbital-attitude coupling (both ways), the principle of quassi-velocities, energy methods for stability analysis and much more.
In general, this book is analytically beautiful, rigorous, typos free and a fun reading.
For farther reading, I recommend Beletskii’s book on Motion of an Artificial Satellite for perturbation analysis of slightly non-linear attitude dynamics and Bong Wie’s book on Space Vehicle Dynamics and Control that is particularly strong on quaternion control.
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Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by John Matlock on July 1, 2010 - 3:13 pm
Often ignored, the ability to control just where a spacecraft is pointed is absolutely critical to space flight. Without such controls, the Hubble telescope doesn’t point in the right direction. The spy satellites don’t point at the ground and the re-entry rockets don’t point you in the right direction to come home.
The first Explorer and Sputnik experiences proved that what we thought we knew about the classical analysis of Newton and others were wrong, or at least incomplete. The realities of space flight intruded into the carefully developed mathematics of classical mechanics.
This book reflects the lessons learned and gives a rigorous mathematical introduction to the dynamics of spacecraft control. This is an augmented reprint of the original edition published in 1986.
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by Ali Nasir on July 1, 2010 - 3:56 pm
This book is a really nice tool for those who are learning about spacecraft attitude dynamics
Rating: 4 / 5