Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Moslem Karim Abadeh ¹
• Morteza Tayefi ²

¹ Department of Aerospace Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Flight Dynamics and Control, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology,

Abstract

In this study, the control of a space capsule during the re-entry phase is examined. Re-entry is one of the most important phases of a spacecraft's mission because when the spacecraft enters the Earth's atmosphere, aerodynamic forces and moments will disturb the angles of attack and side slip. These disturb angles, if not controlled, can cause serious injuries to the spacecraft and its passengers. To eliminate the disturbances, moving mass controllers have been used as an operator. Moving mass controllers (MMC) control the flying device by creating an internal force. The main advantage of moving mass controllers compared to other operators such as aerodynamic surfaces and thrust jets is the non-production of turbulent aerodynamic force (which can disrupt the controller's performance) due to the creation of internal force. Another important factor is the mechanism of moving mass controllers. In this research, in addition to the cross mechanism, which is a more common mechanism, the radial mechanism has also been examined. A non-linear controller is needed in order to use the radial mechanism, and in this research, a non-linear proportional-integral-derivative controller is suggested.

Keywords

• space capsule
• re-entry
• suborbital
• moving mass
• stability
• control

Main Subjects

• Space subsystems design: (navigation, control, structure and…)