Design and Testing of Magnetic Controllers for Satellite Stabilization

A study was carried out of attitude control algorithms that are able to provide 3-axis stabilization of a satellite equipped with a magnetometer as the only sensor and magnetotorquers as the only actuators. Two different solutions to the problem were developed, namely Linear Quadratic Regulator and No Wheel controllers. Their aptitude to achieve the required performance was confirmed by multiple numerical simulations under different initial conditions and various scenarios. The new algorithms were tested onboard the Israeli Gurwin-TechSAT micro-satellite, nominally momentum-biased, stabilized within 2o–2.5o precision by the proportion-plus-derivative magnetic controller. In the flight tests of the new controllers, some valuable results were obtained, such as revealing the possibility to effectively maintain the satellite 3-axis stabilization even with a very small momentum bias, and the implementation and efficient performance of the properly modified extended and linear Kalman filters in the onboard computer.